


What if BKEW Was Right?

by vesta_xx



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Act 7, Alternate Ending, Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, bkew, bladekindeyewear, homestuck theory, inversion theory, upd8
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-06-05 10:18:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6700954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vesta_xx/pseuds/vesta_xx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternative ending to Homestuck that diverges from canon just before Act 7, based on the predictions made by bladekindeyewear (bladekindeyewear.tumblr.com), prominent for his extensive Homestuck theories. I don't claim this to be better or 'more real' than Andrew's - just an exploration of another fanon route.</p><p>Updates every 4 and 1/3 days (hopefully). Wordcount may be deceiving.</p><p>All characters belong to Andrew Hussie, What Pumpkin and Homestuck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Encore

"We did it," Rose whispered.

The children converged on the lilypad, all smiles and tears as some of them reunited for the first time in three years; some of them for the first time ever. John and Jade practically squealed, jumping up and down while Roxy pulled Jane in for a hug, Calliope already buried in her chest, crying with relief.

Kanaya roughed up Karkat's hair, grateful he had come out unscathed; Dave being teasingly encouraging towards his boyfriend, proud that he made it through okay.

Dirk managed to get in some words with Jake, stuff left unsaid during the curt, pre-battle flurry. Rose came over to say hi, finally face to face with her famed kindred spirit. 

And then he came. Escorted by his sprite-mother, a man in a pristine fedora, his sleeves still smudged with marks of battle. He wore the smears with pride, his badge of fatherly love and devotion, keeping at least one more threat away from his kids.

John noticed him as the man who had raised him, but not quite. He saw John as the man who had raised him, but not quite. Nonetheless, they were undeniably, indisputably, family.

After three years of separation that didn't quite happen, they embraced. And it was good.

Jane would join in soon after, thrilled to see her father safe and sound.

The collective's reunion could go on forever, but there was one last job they had to accomplish.

"So, universe. We just have to push it out Skaia's birthing canal then go through this gargantuan ass of a door, right?" Dave asked. 

"YEAH," Karkat replied. "WE NEED SOMEONE TO LIGHT THE FORGE THOUGH. WITH A RING."

Jane spoke up, raising her hand. "Jade told me that the battle between the two semipotent demidogs came in our favour! The rings should be available for the stoking."

"Quite right. I have it on good authority that the rings are being taken care of!" Jade affirmed. "The mayor and the other friendly carapacian will be dealing with it. Any minute now they'll light the forge!"

"Glad that's settled," Dirk said, arms crossed. "So what? For now we chill around, wait for the frog to appear?"

Terezi nodded. "Y34H. TH3R3S NOT MUCH TO DO L3FT."

"Knowing volcanos, it should be quite visible when it finally erupts and ejaculates the tadpole straight into the bosom of Skaia," Jake remarked, before stopping himself, wary of all the glances he was getting. "D...did I say something wrong?"

"Phrasing," Kanaya reminded him with a gentle pat on the back, while she fended off nudges from Rose.

Roxy stretched out before laying down on the lilypad. "Well then, tell me when it happens. Ain't gonna miss that for the universe - ha! But we should really just chillax yo, get ready for the anti-apocalypse. Let there be light an' all." Looking to Rose, she winked. "So in da meantime-"

"Who's up for exchanging war stories?” Jade suggested.

So they recounted their battles, how each party disastrously collided with their foes, how each of them emerged victorious. How Jake and Karkat miraculously triumphed over The Felt and even earned their respect. How Roxy stuck a sword in the Condesce, bringing the empress to her knees and then to the ground. How Jade tried to keep the dogs out of trouble, succeeding only partially - but it all ended well. How split second decisions and bravery allowed the Striders to scrape a win through a triple decapitation. How they each brought out the best in each other, executing sick combos, perfectly timed hits and mind blowing fraymotifs.

And then they went back even further. Dirk's uprising in Derse. Roxy escaping jail and how Jake's power of hope overwhelmed even the Green Sun. Jade and Dave failing to whittle down Jack. Terezi teasing an envious Rose over her little victory over Scratch. Even the trolls recounted their fateful epic against their Black King, the deciding battle that spawned the kids' universe.

John humbly requested that his retcon-journey through Paradox Space be retold at another moment - much to Roxy's whining.

"But I must say,” John started. “The foes we’ve fought were tough. But there was that time I met him. That green weenie who’s the cause of all this."

“The young Lord English?” Jade turned her head around. “You’ve actually met him?"

John shrugged. “Well, yeah. We had a rumble, roughing each other up. That was when I still didn’t really have control over my retcon powers. I was clobbering him when I got zapped away, and that was when I entered the doomed session."

“Sick, bro,” Dave said, giving him a pat on the back. “I hope you did a number on him."

“Increased my man-grit, that brawl,” John winked. “I’m a lot stronger, now."

Rose butt in. “Strong enough to carry one of us?” she teased.

“Strong enough to carry all of you!” John proclaimed, before scooping up Rose, as she kicked and fussed. Roxy tackled John, only for him to pick them both up, as they all played about. Calliope cheered them on, as they fake-wrestled, Roxy pounding on John in a flirty way; Kanaya swooped in to carry Rose herself, and Dave taking the opportunity to carry a screaming Karkat. 

The rest watched on, content to simply indulge in a moment of frivolity and youth. There was nothing more left to do, after all. They’d done it, and they could really use a hard earned rest. Jade sat by Jake’s side, shoulder to shoulder, wordless yet enjoying each other’s company.

“Do you think Vriska’s dealing with him now?” Jade said, breaking the silence.

“Who?"

“The spider troll girl." 

“I know, I meant dealing with who?"

Jade sighed, “The big bad, silly. Lord English."

“Oh, yeah. She must be,” Jake said, absentminded. "Some way or somehow."

“You know, Lord English sounds an awful lot scary. He’s Calliope’s brother, right? Then his stupid name should be similar to hers."

"Huh, I never really thought of it that way,” Jake said. Thinking about how their jujus were essentially the same word with alternating caps seemed to solidify the theory that related things must be related in name as well.

Jade sighed. “Well I hope he’s being dealt with. I think he’d be a lot less imposing if we knew his real name, right? A lot of the time, threats can be imaginary. When we fought Jack, he called himself the Sovereign Slayer… but he’s really just Jack, a simple old name for an angry old man."

"Names have power,” Jake mused. "And I guess they can take power as well."

Jade gave Jake a knowing smile, before turning her attention back to the crowd.

Jake tried to focus as well, but now there was something nagging in the back of his head. A subconscious notion that clung to him like a tumour nesting in his brain. Something resurfacing that was never there to begin with. Eight letters into a word, like the ancient name of a sword, but not quite.

It was becoming clearer now, and it made Jake sick from the inside. English had shared a last name with him - was this coincidence too? Did it work did other way - things that were related in name must be related in general as well, right? Jake was never one for thinking hard, but now bits and pieces started falling into place at a speed his mind couldn’t keep up with, making him dizzy, even nauseous. He moved his hands to his mouth to prevent himself from puking.

Not just bile, but the words as well. Or a word, singular. It had taken shape now, the word repeating inside his head. Rattling about like the voices of the deceased, all chanting and all singing. An obeisance to their Lord.

Even though he’d refused to tell him, Jake just knew it in his gut. And some way or somehow, the syllables weaselled their way into his lips, like a conspiracy Paradox Space had put into place. Jake sputtered as he reluctantly drew air, and he uttered the forbidden, true name of Lord English.

“Caliborn."

There wasn't an audible rumble, but its effects could be felt. As though a dark cloud crackled throughout Skaia, sending shivering thunder across the session. The atmosphere growing thick and heavy, interlacing with forbidden power. An archaic form of gravity drawing everyone's gaze towards the center. Where a different cherub now stood.

John could hardly recognize him now, despite the singular change. Each step towards power descended him further into the realm of monstrosities, and though he seemed to be equally bewildered, adapted to his surroundings with ease.

This slip would cost them. Another cueball set into motion, charging the break. Another chaotic cascade sending all events spiraling towards the end.

Caliborn roared, rainbow energy sizzling and emanating from the center, throwing everyone off balance. The Lord of Time took an offensive stance, ready to wreck some shit.

Subconsciously or not, the eight god tiers formed a perfect circle around Caliborn. As one, they lashed out at him, once, dealing almost no damage at all. Dirk called for a more coordinated attack and they synced up, a devastating eight-way fraymotif.

Dave and Jade served as support, locking onto instances of Caliborn throughout space and time. John, Rose, Roxy and Dirk served as the bulk of the attack - strong winds pelting and pushing Caliborn in all directions, as both soul-cleansing light and soul-shattering lightning struck from above. The void opened up, keeping Caliborn pinned as Roxy threw every single foreign object she could muster at him. Jane gave them the vigour to push through, a short term boost to their abilities, and Jake made it all happen - hope penetrating the impenetrable, the rainbow armour of aura momentarily shattered.

This had an effect on him. Caliborn stumbled, snarling, spitting blood from his mouth. 

They began to regroup, Nannasprite whisking Dad to safety, Karkat's and Kanaya's weapons at the ready, Terezi glowing a bright turquoise and ready to provide support. Caliborn realized there and then that he might win, but also that he might not. Not without possible heavy, permanent casualties on his side. This was neither the time nor place for a showdown - this much he knew.

He felt the ring around the middle finger of his right hand. He immediately knew his means of retreat.

"UNTIL NEXT TIME, SUCKERS."

With that he vanished, escaping into the void.

"Holy fuck- Callie!" Roxy cried out.

"We need to go get her," John said. "And we need to go get him."

"I'm in," Jade said. "We're all in - all us god tiers anyway. I'm sorry guys!" she halted the trolls' protests. "It's way too dangerous for you all now. This is the big, BIG bad we're talking about now-"

"Wait wait wait," Dave started. "Can't we just fix this through simple time travel. I could just go back a minute or two and make sure-"

Terezi put a hand on his shoulder. "4ND DOOM TH1S T1M3L1N3? 1 DOUBT YOU C4N OUT T1M3 TH3 LORD OF T1M3. 1F 1T W4SN'T M34NT TO H4PP3N 1T WOULDN'T H4V3."

"Fuck," Dave crossed his arms.

"We need to defeat him anyway, so that this won't happen again. The young Lord of Time requires his just desserts," Rose said.

"So it's set," John decided. "I'll warp the eight of us to him, hopefully within his recent... timeframe?"

"Chronology," Rose supplied helpfully.

John nodded. "Whatever. What matters now is-"

"We kick his butt!" Roxy shouted, a war cry of her own.

Jake hung his head in disbelief. “I… I don’t-"

“It’s all right, champ,” Jade pat his back. “You heard what our Time guy said. It would've happened one way or another. We’re gonna fix this, okay?"

He didn’t look very reassured, but did his best to plaster a fake smile on his face. Jade could see through that immediately, but reserved her comments for the time being.

"Let's get going then," Jane said, rubbing her hands. "Better get this over with sooner than later."

"All right, everyone hold hands now."

The eight of them disappeared in a halo of blue light, leaving the startled remains of the rest behind.

"WELL," Karkat groaned. "THAT'S THAT."

Kanaya assured him. "Theyll Be Fine. Given Johns Ability Theyll Be Back Sooner Than You Know."

Dad returned now, hesitant but otherwise still in one piece. Nannasprite gestured that the trolls were quite safe. And they all huddled close, waiting for the gods' return.

* * *

Somewhere, lurking beneath and out of sight, a drone waits. Its pilot a dignitary, looking like an utterly asinine fool. He is not happy, but orders are orders. He sighs, sucks in a last breath of smoke, before getting ready to strike, hands ready at the controls.

A droll dances on its hull, his taps silent but full of vigorous energy. In his possession is a powerful weapon of black and white he's very enthusiastic to employ.

An enraged queen with blood dripping from her chest curls her lips into a cruel smile. She pulls out the sword from within her, not even flinching. She discards it in spite, then cracks her knuckles before twirling her 2x3-dent, ready to wreck some shit.

A single word escapes her blood stained lips.

 

_"Suckas."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the beginning of the end! Again!  
> Instead of the mind boggling Act 7 we got, here's a less ambiguous rewrite of the ending (until the epilogue, of course). Bladekindeyewear got me deep into the theory side of Homestuck, and this is what's come out if it. A resolution based on his predictions.
> 
> That's not to say that I think the current ending is bad. Many people have shown how Homestuck's ending is brilliant in its own way, and how certain things tie up together to make sense, and that spoonfeeding has never really been Homestuck's spirit anyway. An open ended conclusion leaves the fandom to fill in their gaps, doing the things they've always done best, and fits into the idea of Homestuck as a puzzle as well. That's also not to say it's flawless. 
> 
> ANYWAY, the following chapters basically wrap up the story fulfilling most of BKEW's major theories, and so most of the content isn't really mine, per se. Okay, some of it is, but all I'm trying to do is to put all this into a hopefully coherent narrative that feels like it's wrapped up the loose ends everyone felt the original ending didn't. I feel that I at least owe BKEW this much. He seems to have been so heartbroken at how bereft of answers the ending was and it might be nice to show him What If?
> 
> Thanks BKEW! And also to Homestuck and the fandom in general. It's been a ride. I hope you enjoy this small contribution of mine.


	2. ACT 6 ACT 6 ACT 5 Redux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caliborn retells his award winning masterpiece in prose, with his own author's opinions and stuff.

SO. I WILL OBVIOUSLY ASSUME CONTROL OF THIS STORY EVEN THOUGH YOU BOZOS KNOW WHAT HAPPENS, RIGHT.

FUCK. DO I EVEN NEED TO REPEAT MYSELF IN THIS DISGUSTING "PROSE". THERE IS A REASON I COMMITTED TALENT AND ABILITY INTO MAKING MY MASTERPIECE. BUT NO. YOU INSIST. UNABLE TO PURVEY FINE ART, YOU INSIST I DEGRADE MYSELF FURTHER. BUT NO MATTER. I AM A COMMONS MAN. I KNOW HOW TO REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE AND MAKE MY WORK ACCESSIBLE. I KEEP MY AUDIENCE IN MIND BECAUSE I AM A GENTLE MAN.

LET’S BEGIN AGAIN WHERE WE LEFT OFF. I WANTED TO PLAY A GAME, YADA YADA.

SO I WENT TO FUCK WITH THE DENIZEN. YODABRO. HE IS MASSIVE AND WRIGGLING AND CLEARLY DOES NOT GIVE A SHIT. I DON'T NEED ANY HENCH MAN. I DON'T USE ANY SPECIAL TIME BULLSHIT OR BOONS OR ANY SWEET EQUIPMENTS. I JUST TAKE MY TRUSTY CROWBAR. AND PROCEED TO BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM. JUST CLOBBERING AND HAMMERING UNTIL HE GIVES UP AND DIES.

DOES BEATING UP A MAGICAL SNAKE WITH A BAR THAT NEGATES THE EFFECTS OF MAGICAL ITEMS MAKE IT NOT MAGICAL ANYMORE? I DON’T KNOW, DIP SHIT, I NEVER REALLY PAUSED LONG ENOUGH TO OBSERVE OR FIND OUT.

ANYWAY HE’S DEAD, SO THERE’S THAT.

IM COVERED IN BLOOD. HIS AND MINE. AND THEN I GO TO CLAIM MY PRIZE.

AS PRO MISSED FOR KICKING HIS SORRY ASS, I GET TO LIVE FOREVER! YEAH THAT'S IT. PRETTY LAME HUH. BUT I ALSO GET THE FLASHY EYES AND THIS SUPER POWERFUL JUJU WEAPON THING. THAT'S MORE LIKE IT. ALL THIS KING YOYOBONG TOLD ME I'D GET.

SO I STRUT MY PIMPING ASS TO THE END OF THIS SNAKE ROAD IN THE SHAPE OF HIM EXPRESSING HIS LEWD VANITY. AND I SEE THE CHEST. THAT MUST BE MY PRECIOUS JUJU, BECAUSE ALL JUJUS ARE IN CHESTS. OBVIOUSLY. I SNEAK A PEEK TO CONFIRM I HAVEN'T BEEN SWINDLED, OR I'D BEAT THAT WORMS SORRY ASS BACK TO LIFE TO TELL ME WHERE MY SPOILS ARE. THAT'S THAT. BUT I SEE NO UNCONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY OR RAINBOW MAJYKKS AROUND. JUST THIS CRUMMY OLD CLOCK. HUH. WEIRD.

IM SPEECHLESS FOR A MOMENT. UTTERLY STUNNED. I MEAN IM STILL GRINNING BECAUSE I DID IT. THAT WAS NEVER IN DOUBT BUT EXISTING IN THE AFTER JUST FEELS SO RIGHT. BUT I'M STUMPED. THAT IS UNTIL I SEE MY TIME CIRCLE THING ON THE CLOCK AND I REALIZE EVERYTHING.

I'M SUPPOSED TO TRASH THIS LOSER PIECE OF FURNITURE. BULLY THE TOOL INTO GIVING ME WHAT I WANT, WHICH IS TWO MORE OF THE THREE BOONS.

AND I SURE ENJOY BRUISING AND BUSTING UP THIS ANTIQUE. WE FORMED A SPECIAL BOND. A CONNECTION OF SOME SORTS I CAN'T EXPLAIN. LIKE HOW SOMETHING THAT HAS EXISTED SINCE LIKE FOREVER, GIVING WAY TO ME, WHO IS NOW GOING TO EXIST INTO FOREVER. YOU GET WHAT I MEAN? ALL THE METAPHORS AND STUFF. MY CALLING IN THE ARTS HAS GIVEN ME THE EDUCATION I NEED.

SO I DESTROY THE CLOCK. ** **BAM BAM BAM!**** RENDER IT USELESS SO NOW I’M A HUNDRED PERCENT IMMORTAL. THEN I ABSORB ITS ENERGY. OH YES. I LET THE WIMPY RAINBOW WISPS BECOME A FULL FLEDGED STEAMING HOT ON SAUNA AND MAKE OUT WITH MY EYES FURIOUSLY. IN A NON HOMOSEXUAL WAY. PLATONIC AND NOT EROTIC. ENERGY HAS NO GENDER YOU SAY WELL FUCK YOU. OF COURSE ENERGY HAS TO BE MALE THAT'S ALL THAT MALES HAVE. THE FAIRER SEX IS LIMP AND CAN DO NOTHING BUT SIT PASSIVELY ON THEIR PLUSHY PLUMP RUMPS ALL DAY LONG. HOW'S THAT FOR ENERGY?

ANYWAY. BY FUCKING UP AND MAKING THE CLOCK MINE, I OWN EVERYTHING IT IS. THAT’S RIGHT, EVEN THE CUEBALL THAT MAKES UP THE INCESSANTLY ANNOYING TICK TOCK OF THAT BIG CLOCK COCK.

HUH, YOU ASK. ISN’T THE CUEBALL LIKE, DANGEROUS TO ME OR SOMETHING. ISN’T IT ONE OF MY ****GASP**** ONLY WEAKNESSES? WELL DUH, DIP SHIT. IT'S A PART OF MY IMMORTALITY CLOCK. WHICH CAN FUCK ME. BUT I FUCKED IT FIRST, SO THERE’S THAT.

WAIT WAIT WAIT, YOU ASK AGAIN, LIKE AN IDIOT WHO NEEDS TO BE SPOON FED CANDY CORN. HOW DOES THE CUEBALL KNOW EVERYTHING AND GRANT ANSWERS AND STUFF, IF ALL IT DOES IS RULE THE DEATHS OF GOD TIERS?

WELL, AN ALL KNOWING CLOCK JUJU HAS TO BE OMNISCIENT TO ACCURATELY JUDGE ONE'S DEATH RIGHT? WHERE DO YOU THINK IT GOT ITS OMNISCIENCE FROM?

OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH QUESTIONS, YOU'RE HURTING MY HEAD. LET ME CONTINUE.

BECAUSE I AM A VERY METICULOUS AND CAUTIOUS MAN, I MAKE THE CUEBALL MINE. MY RAINBOW POWERS LET ME MANIPULATE THE CUEBALL TO MY LIKING, TO DO MY BIDDING. I CAN DO THIS BECAUSE MY RAINBOW POWERS COME FROM THE CLOCK AND SO DOES THE CUEBALL SO BY ASSOCIA- ****ARGH!**** WHY AM I EVEN DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR YOU FUCKING IDIOTS. GO GET RIPPED YOURSELVES, YOU LAZY ASS HOLES.

SO. I EVEN MADE IT SUCH THAT THE CUEBALL BECOMES AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT TOWARDS THE CREATION OF MY HOST. HAH! LITERALLY, MAKING IT MINE. MAKING IT ME. IF YOU BECOME YOUR WORST ENEMY, WHAT KIND OF AN ENEMY IS THAT? IF YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER THE ONLY THING THAT CAN HURT YOU, CAN IT REALLY HURT YOU ANYMORE?

THE BALL SERVES ME NOW, BECAUSE IT IS A SUCKER. AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE MANY MORE SUCKERS. FOR ME. BECAUSE THE WORLD IS FULL OF SUCKERS AND IT IS A DELIGHT TO JUST WATCH THEM.

THIS IS NOT ME ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS. THIS IS ME BRAGGING, BECAUSE I CAN. I CAN AFFORD TO SHOW OFF MY SWAG BECAUSE I THOUGHT ****EVERYTHING**** THROUGH SO THOROUGHLY SO THAT I CANT GET SCREWED FOR MY INCOMPETENCE AGAIN. I AM ****THAT**** GOOD.

OKAY, SO NOW EVEN WITH ALL THE ABILITIES GRANTED TO ME, I AM STILL ONLY FORTY FUCKING PERCENT OF THE SWOLE LORD ENGLISH I WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE. MAYBE TWENTY IF YOU WANT TO COUNT THE SCRATCH AND GREEN SUN PART- AH FUCK THAT. AND THE OTHER SIXTY IS JUST SUPER LAME, BUT NEVERTHELESS, DESPITE BEING COMPLETE, I AM NOT QUITE COMPLETE.

WE ARE ALMOST GETTING THERE NOW. SEE, YOU WANT ME TO TELL MY STORY AGAIN, BUT NO. I AM A SPECTACULAR ARTIST. I GIVE YOU MORE CONTENT. I PROVIDE YOU STELLAR ADDITIONAL ENTERTAINMENT BECAUSE I HAVE MASTERED MY CRAFT THE SAME WAY I CONQUER EVERYTHING ELSE. AND SOMEHOW, I BENEFIT YOU AS WELL!

ARE YOU ****CONTENT**** NOW? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

SO, I OBTAIN THE SWEET GET UP. I ROMP AROUND A BIT, WITH NOTHING TO DO ANYMORE BECAUSE I WON MY GAME. THEN SUDDENLY, IM SURROUNDED BY WEENIES. THEY DIDN'T COME TO ME, I CAME TO THEM. EVERYONE, JUST PEACHY KIDS IN THE FLESH. I FINALLY GET TO FUCK THEM UP GOOD!

BUT THERE'S WAY TOO MANY OF THEM. I DON'T HAVE ALL MY TOOLS AT MY DISPOSAL, AND I CANT FUCK THEM UP AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO. I COULD PROBABLY, BUT I'D SPILL TOO MUCH BLOOD, AND I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO COMPLETELY OBLITERATE THEM. SO BEING THE MASTER STRATEGIST I AM, I ORDER MYSELF TO MAKE A TACTICAL RETREAT. AND OH TACTICAL IT IS - I HAVE COME INTO MY IDIOT SISTER’S BODY, AND SHE CANT EVEN STAY DEAD LONG ENOUGH. ONLY FOR HER TO COME BACK, FOR ME TO SNATCH HER BODY ONCE AGAIN. THANK YOU DEAR SISTER. YOUR DEATH HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT. TWICE NOW. BECAUSE OF YOU, I HAVE GAINED ONE MORE SHINY TOOL AT MY DISPOSAL.

YES, THE RING. MORE ON THIS LATER. YOU BETTER PAY ATTENTION. I AM ****LITERALLY HIGHLIGHTING**** THIS FACT FOR YOU IN CASE YOUR PUNY BRAINS CANNOT COMPREHEND THE SHEER MIND BLOWING AWESOMENESS THAT IS ME.

I RUN AWAY WITH THE RING. I FIND THE WONDERS THAT IS THE VOID. NO WONDER THAT SAUCY ROGUE RUMPUS LOVED SITTING HER FINE ASS AROUND HERE SO MUCH. I RESCIND ALL INSULTS ON HER TASTE. SHE HAS DAMN FINE TASTE.

OKAY OKAY, WE'RE FINALLY HERE. YOU READY? I AM FUCKING AROUND. THE CLOWN AND THE DOLL AND THE RABBIT ARE AT MY SIDE, WATCHING ME FUCK. WITHOUT REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF COURSE YOU SICK FUCK, AND IT IS GLORIOUS. WE ARE HAVING A BLAST. THE STAGE IS SET.

CURTAINS RAISED AND DRAWN, FOR MY FINAL ACT AS THE ONE KNOWN AS CALIBORN.

EIGHT PAJAMA KIDS ARRIVE, AND EVEN THOUGH I HAVE REPEATEDLY KNOWN THIS DAY WOULD COME, I AM STILL SURPRISED. LIKE I THOUGHT THEY COULDN’T BE SO STUPID TO COME TO HOMEBOY'S TURF AND CHALLENGE ME, AND EXPECT NOT TO GET WRECKED. BUT THEY DID. THEY ****REALLY**** DID.

SO I DUNK THEM. BOY DO I DUNK THEM. I DUNK THEM HARD.

“Caliborn, we’re here to stop you!” THE JOHN HUMAN ANNOUNCED, LIKE A SELF RIGHTEOUS PANSY.

I’D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY, I SAID, MY HEAD ABSOLUTELY SPINNING WITH GLEE.

SO I USE MY HOUSE JUJU ON THE SPOT. I SNAP, AND THE HOUSE GOES OUT OF THE CHEST AND SWALLOWS FOUR KIDS WHOLE. YOU ALL ALREADY KNOW THIS RIGHT? GOOD. WE CAN SKIP TO THE GOOD PARTS, THEN.

THE CLOWN FRIEND GETS CLEAVED INTO TWO. THAT SUCKS, BUT IS ALSO VITAL FOR MY PERSONAL GROWTH. THE RABBIT FRIEND SKITTERS AWAY AND THE DOLL IS USELESS FOR NOW. I AM ALL ALONE. WHICH IS WHAT EXCITES ME THE MOST.

AND SO WE BEGIN OUR REAL BANGARANG, AND I TROUNCE THESE LOSERS IN THE ART OF EXTREME COMBAT.

THE MASKED FLOOZY IS A SKITTISH ONE, SCAMPERING TO AND FRO, DISAPPEARING AND THEN REAPPEARING. SHE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO LET UP, AND I HAVE TO SCHOOL HER TO KNOW HER PLACE. LITERALLY. SHE WONT STAND STILL. FULL OF ANNOYING, VIGOROUS ZEAL. SHES SHOUTING HER VOICE HOARSE, BLABBERING MY SISTER'S NAME AS IF THAT HAS ANY EFFECT. IT DOESN'T, AND I CACKLE AS I SOCK HER IN THE FACE WITH ONE PROPERLY TIMED PUNCH.

THE OTHER FEMALE ISNT DOING MUCH. HER HEAVING BOSOM IS DISTRACTINGLY ALLURING, AN UNSIGHTLY DISPLAY OF HOW MUCH EFFORT SHE IS PUTTING IN. I ALMOST PITY HER. WHEN I KICK HER SQUISHY BITS, MY KNEE JUST SINKS IN, INTO A SNUG SPOT WHERE ALL HER VITALS AND ENTRAILS ARE. AND SHE SCREAMS, JOYOUS MUSIC TO MY EARS. IT'S REALLY FUN. YOU SHOULD TRY IT MORE OFTEN. SHE TRIES TO HEAL THEM ALL BACK UP, WHICH IS GOLDEN. BECAUSE IT MEANS I GET TO BEAT THEM FRESH ALL OVER AGAIN.

DIRK IS A GOOD SPORT. A GOOD BRO. THIS IS REALLY BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, PALS JUST DUKING IT OUT. IT IS AN EXCELLENT BATTLE. HE TRIES TO SPLIT ME, AND FAILS MISS ERABLY. THEN BY SOME TWISTED LOGIC, DECIDES TO SPLIT HIMSELF. NOW THERE'S MORE THAN ONE OF HIM SCURRYING AROUND AS THOUGH TIME SHENANIGANS ARE AT HAND BUT OF COURSE THERE AREN'T. I WOULD KNOW AND I'D SLAP DOWN THOSE SHENANIGANS ON THE BACK SIDE. I SLAP DOWN HIS BACK SIDE, BECAUSE HE IS BEING RIDICULOUS AND WASTING MY QUALITY TIME. EACH OF HIS COPIES IS ONLY A FRACTION AS STRONG AS HE IS, AND HE REALISES THAT THIS WAS A STUPID IDEA. HE BECOMES WHOLE AGAIN, AND WE CONTINUE JOSTLING ABOUT.

THE OTHER GUY. I. I IGNORE HIM FOR THE MOST PART, BECAUSE HE IS A COLOSSAL FAILURE. I TRUSTED HIM. I SAW POTENTIAL. AND ALL HE CAN DO IS BLITHER AND BLATHER AND WHINE AND WEEP. HE WOULDN'T EVEN DO AS A SERVANT. PATHETIC. ALL THAT SICKLY OPTIMISM THAT POWERED HIM. GONE. HE IS A JOKE, A FUCKING LOSER AND I WHOOP HIS ASS AGAIN. AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN.

SO THIS BROUHAHA REACHES ITS PEAK, AS I FIGHT WITH MY BRO, AND ALSO LAUGHING HAHA,  AND OF COURSE I MANAGE TO BREAK HIS STUD NINJA ASS. I GIVE IT TO HIM SO HARD, THE BEATING. HIS FANCY PRICKLY LIGHTNING CAN ONLY TICKLE ME. HIS SWORD CAN ONLY TOUCH ME GENTLY, THE BISHONEN YAOI STRONG WITH THE BLADE. IT WANTS TO MEET ME BUT CAN'T, BECAUSE I AM AN UPRIGHT MAN OF MORAL VALUES. WHY DO I EVEN BOTHER DESCRIBING THIS TO YOU. THE BOTTOM LINE IS I WIN, NUMB NUTS.

I DANCE AROUND AND PRANCE ON THEIR BODIES. HITTING THEM WHILE THEY'RE DOWN. GETTING IN A FEW BLOODY KICKS TO THE HEAD. THEY WONT DIE FOR SOME REASON. MAYBE BECAUSE I SECRETLY DON'T WANT THEM TO? THEY'RE SO MUCH FUN TO PLAY WITH. THIS GAME I CALL FRIENDSHIP.

IN PARTICULAR I DESECRATE THE PRETTY BOY, BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY SHATTER A MAN IS TO SHIT ON HIS PRIDE AND HONOUR, RIGHT? WE THE STRONGEST WARRIORS KNOW THAT THE BEST.

BUT THEN. THE ENGLISH BOY. HE GETS ANGRY. HE STARTS THROWING HIS HISSY FIT TANTRUM. AND AWAKENED WITHIN HIM, THE SHEER POWER. THE HOPE. OH BOY THE HOPE.

I WAS COMPLACENT. EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN. BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE SUCH AN ABSURD THING WOULD HAPPEN UNTIL IT REALLY DOES. SO HE PROCEEDS TO DESTROY ME WITH HIS HOPE FIELD AND OWNS ME. I GET COMPLETELY WASTED, TOSSED AROUND AND EVEN MY SHITTY RAINBOW MAJYKKS CAN'T DO JACK SHIT. HE CONTINUED CRYING AND WAILING AND I BASICALLY GAINED A NEW FOUND RESPECT FOR ALL THESE DEFICIENT EMOTIONS.

IT WAS ALL A LIE. HE DIDN'T NEED TO FEEL HOPE TO ACCESS HOPE. HE JUST NEEDED TO FEEL. FEEL ANGRY. I FELT SO CHEATED, BUT OF COURSE SINCE I PLAY THE LONG GAME, NOTED THIS DOWN FOR REFERENCE AS WELL. EVERY LITTLE FALL AND MISS TAKE I CAN LEARN FROM. AND USE TO MY ADVANTAGE.

SO THEN THE REST IS INCONSEQUENTIAL. I GET HUGGED BY A SWEATY ROBOT HORSE DUDE. DIRK SUCKS AND TRAPS MY SOUL - AS WELL AS THE MAGIC HORSE DUDE AND HALF OF THE CLOWN FRIEND - INTO THE DOLL FRIEND. WHERE I WILL SPEND A VERY, VERY LONG TIME GETTING TO KNOW MY NEW PEEPS. MY CHUMPS AND FRIENDS. BUSTLING AND RUMMAGING ABOUT IN MY LIL CAL. OH ****YESSSSSSSSSSS****.

THEY THINK THEY BEAT ME. ONLY THE ENGLISH BOY DID, MOMENTARILY. I TAKE HIS NAME, AND BECAUSE I'M A GREEDY FUCK, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. OF COURSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH. HE STILL HAS SO MUCH LEFT. AND I WILL TAKE AND TAKE AND TAKE UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT IN HIM. OF HIM. I WILL REMEMBER THIS AND REMEMBER THIS WELL.

I AM SEALED AWAY IN THE DOLL FRIEND AND THE PUPPET GETS SENT AWAY. YOU MAY THINK THAT HAVING TO SPEND AN ETERNITY COOPED UP SITTING ON MY ASS BEING ABLE TO DO NOTHING IS BAD. THAT IT IS TORTURE, PUNISHMENT, KARMA WHATEVER. THIS IS A GOOD THING, ACTUALLY. MY DOMINION OVER TIME MEANS THAT MY ABSENCE IS NEGLIGIBLE. WHEN I RETURN, I WILL ALREADY BE HERE. BUT I MYSELF HAVE HAD THE TIME TO GROW IN ISOLATION, TO STRENGTHEN MY PECTORALS AND ABDOMINALS, MY GLUTEUS MAXIMUS AND BICEPS. OH YES I WILL GET ****RIPPEDDDDD**** , MAN. I WILL BECOME A MAN.

THEY HAVE ONLY EGGED ME ON TOWARDS WHO I WAS REALLY MEANT TO BECOME. AND WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY SEEMING SETBACK IS JUST FOR YOU TO GROW. THEN THEY MEAN NOTHING AT ALL. THEY BECOME DESIRABLE, EVEN. WHAT IS PAIN, WHEN THE END IS SO SUGARY SWEET?

ONE MORE THING LEFT.

THE RING. OF COURSE YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE STUPID RING. IT GETS SUCKED IN WITH ME AS WELL! FOOL! OF COURSE IT WOULD. I WAS WEARING IT.

DID IT BECOME A PART OF MY ESSENCE AND SUCKED INTO THE VOID? WELL, NO. IT IS FAR TOO MAGICAL AN OBJECT TO NOT RETAIN ITS FORM UNLESS IT DOESN’T WANT TO. BUT I CAN STILL USE IT. OBVIOUSLY. IN MY RIPPED STATE I WON’T BE ABLE TO WEAR IT ON MY LITTLE THUMB. BUT I AM A MASTER OF THE ARTS. I DON’T NEED TO BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE A SILLY RING TO PERUSE ITS SICK ABILITIES.

SO ON TOP OF BEING ABLE TO CRASH INTO THE TIME PARTY LIKE A BOSS, I CAN DO SO DISCREETLY. TO FUCK SHIT UP WITHOUT ANYONE KNOWING WHAT THEY GOT STUCK UP THEIR HOLES. OH WHY, MY LORD, YOU ASK. ISN’T IT MORE FUN TO FLAUNT YOUR PIMPED UP ASS AND DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT IN FRONT OF THEIR FACES? SO THEY CAN ALL KNOW WHO THEY SERVE? BEFORE THEY DIE?

BUT I AM NOW A MORE GENTLE MAN. WITH NUANCE. AND REFINED STYLE. THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU LEARN, GROWING UP. SOME TIMES FUCKING SHIT UP IS BEST DONE WHILE EVERY IDIOT FLOUNDERS ABOUT LIKE THE HOPELESS SHITS THEY ARE. WHILE THEY SPEND THE REST OF ETERNITY ALL BUSTED UP SCRATCHING THEIR SKULLS AND NEVER KNOWING ANYTHING.

SO THERE IT IS. MY STORY. MY MASTERPIECE. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW. THAT I HAVE SPILLED MORE WORDS THAN YOU COULD EVER AFFORD WRITTEN IN BLOOD. I REALLY WANTED TO JUST LEAVE IT IN THE DARK YOU KNOW. LIKE THAT PUPPET FLUTTERING THROUGH THE VOID AND ONLY RESURFACING BY THE VIRTUE OF BEING LOCKED ON GENETICALLY THROUGH THOSE STUPID CHUCKY VOODOO THINGS. BUT THE AUDIENCE DEMANDS OF ME. SO I WILL SHED SOME LIGHT ON IT.

YOU INSIST. SO I WILL ENTERTAIN YOU. BECAUSE I CAN. I CHOOSE TO. I SAID I CHOSE TO NEVER SPEAK AGAIN AND I CHOSE AGAIN.

AND NOW THAT I HAVE DONE WHAT I WANT WHICH PERFECTLY COINCIDES WITH WHAT YOU WANT. YOU WILL NOW CHOOSE TO GO AWAY.

SO I CAN CONTINUE DOING WHAT I DO BEST.

PLAYING A GAME.

AND WINNING EVERY FUCKING STEP OF THE WAY.

 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we have an exposition chapter from Caliborn's POV. Chronologically, the Masterpiece is supposed to happen after he screws the kids over. This chapter helps cover what I felt were the three most unsatisfied questions left answered. 1. Confirmation of the clock and its majykks, 2. How Caliborn came into possession of the ring, and 3. All things cueball (its origin, how it came to function and serve English etc.). I hope this sheds some light onto all those!


	3. Suckas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes get played for suckers. Again.

"ARE THEY BACK YET."

"No." 

"... WELL WHAT ABOUT NOW."

"No."

"... SOON?"

"Maybe."

"TEREZI ARE THEY GOING TO GET BACK YET."

"1'M NOT US1NG MY M1ND POW3RS ON TH1S K4RK4T."

"FINE."

"..."

"MAYBE JUST AN ESTIMA-"

**"No!"**  
**"NO!"**

"OKAY OKAY RELAX. NO NEED TO GET YOUR BULBHUGGERS IN A MÖBIUS TWIST."

"..."

"..."

"ARE THEY BACK YET."

_"Yes."_

"WHA-?"

The Condesce speared through Karkat's torso, three prongs impaling his back as he gurgled on his own blood.

With a practiced ease, she flung his mauled body to one side, trident gleaming red against the light of Skaia.

Before the cries of horror could even register, the stampede of a machine gun could be heard, bullets rattling all around. Terezi's split second foresight forced her to wildly twist her body, lunging towards Kanaya and pushing the latter out of the Draconian Dignitary's line of fire. Her body took the brunt of the attack, piercing teal pellets in her from the chest down.

But she still stood. Realizing that it would be futile going toe to toe with the Condesce, Terezi used her last spasm of adrenaline riddled strength and charged the Dignitary and his Dronegorg. Unprepared for this suicide attack, the drone reeled, but Terezi leaped on the bot, promptly decapitating the agent in one swift slash.

Panicking, the Courtyard Droll prematurely released his explosive array of very flammable shaving cream, which brought the trio of them up in flames. Terezi's charred corpse was flung backwards, a trail of teal creeping towards Kanaya's feet. 

Dad sprung forth, fist balled up and took the Condesce by surprise. He clocked her square in the face with a punch that could shatter walls. 

She stumbled back, and Dad was about to deliver a follow up, but she managed to hold him in place. Nannasprite wrested with her for control, livid as Kanaya dashed forth, chainsaw at the ready.

The Condesce let loose a burst of energy, knocking them back before sending a psionic laser blast their way. It narrowly missed them, incinerating half the lilypad.

Good riddance," she spat, her trident pointing at Karkat's corpse. "That buoy should have been culled sweeps ago. Bottomfeeding scum."

"You Know Thats Not How It Works Your Majesty," Kanaya replied sardonically. "You Literally Would Not Exist If Not For Him."

"Keep on spouting lies from that hole of yours and I'll have them sealed in the most appropriate way possible before you die."

Kanaya remained steadfast. "Threats Wont Work On Me. We Defeated You Once And We Can Do It Again."

The Condesce cackled. "You call that defeat? You call sticking a sword in me defeat?!" 

Kanaya charged, but the Condesce parried her with a lazy swipe of her trident, knocking Kanaya to her feet. She tried getting back up, but it felt like gravity intensified all around her. The Condesce kept her rooted with telekinetic forces.

"No matter. I came here to discuss business."

"Or What," Kanaya seethed. "You Will Kill Me?"

The Condesce replied with scorn. "I know what you're thinking. I'm a drinker. She can't kill me since I'm already dead. Do you think I'm stupid? If  you have no body, you can't glub yourself back to life. Incinerating you would be grub's play."

"Thats What Happened The Last Time," Kanaya said, gripping her weapon's handle tighter. "The Information Courtesy Of My Girlfriend Sprite. Would You Like To Test Its Veracity?"

"Reely? You wanna go again?"

"Why Not. I Have Nothing To Discuss With You."

The Condesce tensed, as though every fibre of her being was itching to lash out, but she calmed herself down, nerves fading back into her skin. "I don't have to debait with you. You'll see sense soon enough. I need Jade. I need space. And you need me."

She twirled her trident as a display of superiority. "The anemone of my anemone is my frond. We have a mutual interest to defeat English. And you have what I need for what comes after. You have value in staying alive. Maryams have a reputation for raising up grubs well."

Kanaya snorted. “You Would Know."

“I learn from my mistakes, gull,” the Condesce replied. “You would do well as a surrogate for the Mother Grub. You could be the caretaker of a whole new generation. Isn’t that what you've always wanted? Your duty?"

“My Duty Is Not Towards A Temperamental Child Empress Who Has Forsaken Her People. Who Has Never Once Stood By Their Side."

“Clam it, beach,” the Condesce warned. “I am trying to be civil."

“Still Not Listening,” Kanaya said.

The Condesce pressed on. "He cannot krill me. I cannot keel him. We are at a stalemate. However with outside interference-"

“You Want Me To Actively Partake In The Demise Of English,” Kanaya said with disbelief. "Unlike You I Do Not Have A Suicidal Death Wish. Conditional Mortality Is Not A Blessing I Have."

"There are somefins worse than death, drinker, and I have lived for a very, very long time. You’d be whalecome to take my curse. ” The Condesce now started to pace around, impatient. “Do not fret, for should you sacrifice yourself, it will be for a worthy cause. You-" 

"Get This Straight In Your Head,  _Beach."_

_“Drinker,”_ the Condesce warned, her tone now dangerous. “Shoal your elders some respect."

Kanaya soldiered on, unapologetic. "You Killed My Friends. You’ve Tormented My Girlfriend And Her Family. You’ve Brought Two Races To The Brink Of Extinction By Not Giving A Fuck About Anyone But Yourself And What You Want."

I Will Never Work With You. I Don’t Think There Is A Single Doomed Timeline Across The Vast Possibilities Of The Multiverse Where There Is Even A Modicum Of A Chance That I Will Ever Work With You. You Want My Cooperation? Your Highness You Are Far Beyond Redemption."

The Condesce bared her teeth, voice low. _“Maryam-"_

_"Fuck You, Your Imperious Condescension."_

With a speed too quick even for Kanaya's drinker fastness, the Condesce sidestepped, vanishing from the front. She appeared at Dad's side, slashing three clean lines across his chest, as he crumpled without a sound.

"Have it your way," the Condesce said, as Kanaya screamed incoherently. "Do you filthy drinkers feel pain?" She readied her trident for the final strike.

Kanaya whipped out her chainsaw. No time for grief or suffering or submission.

_"You will."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter where the Condesce mucks things up again. More to come!


	4. Prelude for String Quartet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two groups of four find themselves in a very different situation.

The Green Sun hung above everyone, overseeing everything beneath it. It cast its omnipresent glow, fondly regarding all creation.

The Muse of Space waited ever patient, an eternity collapsing in a single moment soon to follow. She was invisible in front of the gigantic solar mass, a speck against the backdrop of Reality.

Lord English loomed over the battlefield, a desert-scape amidst a sky of shattered glass.

His monstrous, hulking form blazed, arcs of manifest clockwork majykks undulating above. Cueball eyes rotating at a rapid pace, jaw unhinged and blisters of light emanating from within. Raw power of which only a fraction was being released.

The ghost army marched, unsynchronized in pace but as one in heart. A horde of thousands beginning the final assault.

Vriska stood at the fore, crimson chest tucked under her arm. Meenah and Tavros flanked her, weapons at the ready should the Lord of Time come thundered towards them again.

The cherub breathed, exhaling wisps of destruction as his muscles tensed. Eyes seemed to come to a halt - a pair of 8 balls symbolizing the end.

The ghost army charged, a swarm absolutely swallowing him.

His eyes burst to life again, this time cascading even faster, rapidly alternating until the numbers became a blur and the colours blended into white. 

Heroes of Time brought themselves into the fray, holding Lord English in place as others dished out fraymotifs and special skills of all kinds. Havoc wrecked as each swipe of English's claw brought down a trio, the next one sending a group sprawling. Volleys of cueballs broke formations like shotgun cannonballs raining destruction. He seemed to exist in bursts, seconds unpaused as the ghosts did what they could to whittle him down. 

It'd be all in vain. Summoning his Cairo Overcoat, he clad himself back in the cloak, absolutely impervious to outside effects.

He skipped five seconds ahead - all the way to the rear. Barreling out, he sent a death ray that permanently vaporized god-tier and mortal alike. Trolls died in droves, as suddenly there were now three Lord Englishes, all scattered at strategically placed spots that triangulated their attacks. Suddenly they were cornered in, lasers all amok and spelling death.

But the demon's strategy would be erratic. Lord English collapsed himself into one, singular form, leaping up as a lead-in to smashing the opposing forces. Aradia spent one last expanse of energy, freezing him as the crowd below him evacuated, regrouping until there was a reality shattering smash, a crater forming from the middle of nowhere, the shockwaves coursing from the nexus.

Lord English stood up seemingly unharmed, despite never actually being broken free from Aradia's enchantment.

"He is already here," Tavros whispered, before he hollered for the charge.

God-tiered heroes of Time leashed the beast again - doomed Aradias pinning him down with their whips, doomed Damaras casting enchantment after enchantment, increasingly complex techniques to keep him occupied.

Meenah Peixes stared him down, as the unflinching Lord of Time recognized her as the young, alternate version as one of his servants, with those flashing eyes frozen in time.

She readied her fork, pink bolts of life sucking energy directed at him, attempting to drain an inexhaustible source, like a single tap trying to empty an ocean.

He got bored, breaking free even as Meenah lunged, trident going clunk as her momentum caused her to smash into his skull.

Lord English grabbed Meenah by the torso, and flung her far, far away from the battle.

Then for the fuck of it, blasted another few hundred ghosts.

Vriska stood, chest opened, as the army parted way to give her a direct path towards English. She grinned, manic, hair tousling against the whipped up wind, a ball of white ascending from the container. All the previous diversion had led up to this exact moment.

English stood still. Enthralled, curious, waiting to see what came next.

The ultimate juju revealed itself to be a white house, clear and reflective, purely iconic in shape. Symbols of Breath, Light, Time and Space flashed wildly, respectively occupying the four quadrants.

It seemed to gain a physical, structural integrity, materializing and plopping down behind Vriska. Dust and sand flew, the dunes reverberating with a thud. The lines of a door etched itself into the house, light bursting through the seams. 

Something was on the other side.

The house emptied out, quadruple twinkles spawning four distinct people. Blue, orange, red and black above the masses, heroes and gods of the living.

John, Rose, Dave and Jade entered the battlefield, surveying from the skies. They hovered just behind the blank house, which now acted as a parition between Lord English and Vriska from everyone else. Vriska looked at them with glee, spreading her arms to welcome the Heroes.

"Welcome to the end, m8s!"

Now, a straight line could be joined connecting the Green Sun, Lord English, and Vriska. Never losing sight of the goal in mind, Vriska directed the empty vessel towards the cosmic globe, and the plot hole now glowed. A siphon that sucked, powered by her own abilities of luck. She changed into her god tier robes, the classical orange jumper donned by the Heroes of Light, her cobalt signature giving her a vaguely green aura.

“You’re there, aren’t you?” Vriska called out. “If so, then 8d me! Collapse all this, and we will emerge victorious!"

Calliope heard her. 

_“Alright."_

She summoned three orbs, a spell to accelerate the degradation of reality. The cracks ready to give way any moment at the slightest push. Ready to crumble. The rapture on the horizon.

Everything falling apart for the final Reckoning.

 

* * *

 

Atop the Forge, the Peregine Mendincant (PM) - or the Parcel Mistress, no one knows her true name but herself - steeled herself with both rings in hand. Her mission to achieve the Sovereign Slayer's source of power and end his reign of terror was over. She couldn't possibly imagine any other use for the forbidden powers the rings may hold.

Now was as good a time as any to discard of both rings. A sacrifice required to receive Hephaestus's blessing and light the Forge.

The Warweary Villein (WV) - or the Wayward Vagabond, or the Mayor - gazed at her, then at the churning, grumbling lava that sloshed about. His tiny fingers trembled, trepidation over the end of his long journey. His beady, innocent white eyes quivered with wonder, Skaia as witness to this undertaking. To the creation and birth to a universe.

PM wrapped her fingers around the rings, feeling their demented, blessed grooves for the last time, and then eyes closed, th-

"Hold it!"

Jack Noir hobbled up the face of the volcano, stump hand putting him off balance as he scrabbled against the hot dirt. Ms. Paint followed behind, huffing and puffing and pulling up her dress to prevent herself from tripping over it.

Swifter than a falcon, PM thrust the rings into WV's hands, and drew her Regisword, tip aimed against Noir. He threw up his hand in surrender.

"Hey lady-"

One swift slash and she dismembered his right leg, and Jack toppled over, the right half of his limbs now gone.

"Kneel," PM remarked, steely cold gaze transfixed on Jack. She lifted her sword once more.

Ms. Paint screamed. "Wait, don't!" she pleaded, she herself going on her knees, soiling the beautiful 3'o clock dress. "I can attest to him! Please don't..."

"Out of my way, miss. You have no business in this."

"It's okay, missus," Jack coughed. "Please don't ruin that gorgeously spiteful dress for me. Now look, lady." He glanced up, body prone and smouldering on the scorched slab of the earth. "I'm no threat. You've disabled me."

"Noir," came the hollow voice of a tired woman.

"Rogue. Traitor. Destroyer."

Each word patient and chosen, resentment kept in check and revenge reeled in. Two limbs would suffice for now.

"You betrayed your country. You turned on your people. You obliterated your universe. You are the scourge that has caused lifetimes of suffering, an agent that seeks destruction for the sake of it."

She tried to find any semblance of remorse in his face. There was pain, there was controlled anger, there was even a smidgen of sadness and regret. But not an inkling of anything that could steer him on the path of redemption.

"But now you have lost. Your time is up. What more do you demand of us?"

Jack sneered. "It's far from over yet, bird. All this?" he gestured with his only hand. "It's just getting started."

As if right on cue, a faint flare could be felt from the Green Sun, a spiral storm emanating from its core. Even without the rings, they were both highly attuned to its energies, after embodying it for three long years. There was something amiss. Things were stirring.

PM's eyes narrowed. "What do you want," she repeated the question.

"To see this through," Jack said. "I want to be part of the new universe. Then, you can do whatever the fuck you want to do to me."

There was a forced kind of laughter, the kind so amused at such a despicable idea. WV was visibly rattled, never seeing this sort of reaction from PM before.

"What are you? A madman?"

Jack grinned. "A few have called me that. I just have a very strong urge, call it instinctual if you will, to have a glimpse of this new beginning. Call me crazy, I don't care."

"And if I want to deny you out of spite?"

"Sure, you could do that," Jack shrugged. "At least take her with you," he pointed to Ms. Paint. "She's a good lady."

Ms. Paint shook her head. "Jack, I'm not leaving you behind."

"So it's both or nothing," PM said. "I still don't see why I should."

Jack sighed, the kind of sigh the Dignitary would have given. "I'm harmless now. I can't wield the ring. You've seen to that. I can't even stand on my own now. You want to bring me to justice but you aren't willing to kill me."

"You wanna test that?" PM shifted her blade, bringing the tip dangerously close to Jack's face.

"We better hurry," Jack said calmly. "If you want to join them in the new universe."

"Tell me why you really want to go."

Jack closed his eyes, brow furrowed. "There's nothing left here. I am a man who hungers for destruction. It's who I am. These past few years, I've managed to do some pondering. Some self reflection. After witnessing the different instances of myself, I can be sure. Even if I can't destroy it myself, I want to see what could've been. The glory and wonder I could bring to ruin. The waste that it would eventually become, if not by my hand, by some other. Boredom does not suit me, missus."

PM didn't lighten up a little. That sounded more like it, she thought.

"At the very least," Jack continued. "I want to see those grubby kids' faces one last time. Especially that blue nerd, so I can punch it in."

"You will do nothing of the sort, or I will run my blade through you," PM stated.

"Ms. Paint, dear. Do be a darling and ensure I don't bite off their faces when I see them."

Crossing her arms, Ms. Paint looked very stern indeed. "You didn't have to remind me, Jack."

"There. I've spilt the blood from my beating, blackened heart. Happy now?"

"It's not just up to me," PM said. "There is still one more person I need to consult."

She turned to WV, the trembling black carapace and a man of few words. The Mayor hardly talked, and he could only stare at Jack in fear. This was the man who tore down his entire world. Who for whatever demented reason, spared him and only him while thousands of comrades were slaughtered around him. The man who put a hole in his stomach to fuel his passion for hatred, allowing him to escape to a brand new universe fresh for the killing.

And now he had to decide giving this man a final wish?

"This guy?" Jack said, incredulous. "Who the hell is he anyway? Wh-"

"Shut your mouth before you find my sword in your throat."

WV's heart sank. Jack didn't even remember him.

"For someone who's supposed to be the polar opposite of me, you sure like stabbing things as well," Jack whispered to no one in particular.

"That's because you've grown to be alike," Ms. Paint noted. "Also, she did slice you twice, not stab."

"Don't remind me," Jack groaned, gnashing his teeth.

WV looked at his robes. It had once been a snug blanket. It had flit down to him in his darkest hour. He- ... he didn't really know what to think anymore. So much that he's willfully digressed and-

He looked at Jack. His nightmare had haunted him for years. Jack succumbed to the ring's allure, wielded its power for evil. It may have been a lifetime ago, but once upon a time he too was a citizen of Derse, the planet of darkness. He once too, served its queen, before he grew weary and vacated to the Battlefield. There was always evil latent in him, even if it was a small, insignificant amount. That was the nature of Dersites. Black always wins in the end… right?

Could he forgive who he is? Could he forgive Jack?

Could he forgive himself?

He looked back at his time on the meteor. Where he had quickly been accepted as one of the kids' and trolls' own. Where he had been treated with nothing but kindness and love, despite his inability to contribute anything useful. He'd since given up the ways of a warrior. Of being anything other than a tired carapace seeking peace and refuge, perhaps a chance to pursue his creative endeavors of a Can Town. And they granted him that. He didn't have to be useful. He didn't-

They gave him all he needed.

He was okay.

It was okay.

WV slowly gave a nod, and PM took that as her cue. She violently heaved Jack up by the arm, almost dislocating it.

"Watch it, lady," he growled. There was no response. 

PM tossed him to Ms. Paint, as she slipped on her ring, felt its power undulated through her, the canine form bringing back latent feelings of the past. Her snout grew and she stretched her wings, and now the Green Sun's demise she could feel strongly within her. Not much time at all.

Baring her teeth, she herself acted as the portal as she pushed WV and Ms. Paint through. They'd land on another dormant lilypad near the kids', and when the four of them were there, they'd take it and pilot it to the end.

That left Jack.

She begrudgingly held his arm, and with a single swift motion, took off for flight. It'd probably be the last time she'd get to use these wings.

Up and away, towards the final frontier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are happening!
> 
> Now we are diverging far off canon. While Caliborn's masterpiece could be an anchor that surrounded the previous chapters, now we're going into wildly fanon territory. Watch BKEW's various theories rear their heads!


	5. Inverted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oceans rise, empires fall.  
> The Condesce will no longer stand tall.

"Jake? Jake! Can you hear me Jake? ...are you alright?"

"I think he's coming to! Jakey! Paradox Space to Jake, you there?"

"Mm...wuh?"

"Come on, Jake..."

Jake English stirred, his limbs like lifeless puppet stuffing. Everywhere ached. Everywhere numbed. His head throbbed, and he couldn't remember the last few moments.

Jane and Roxy were there to watch over him; Dirk off in a corner, deep in thought. Jake was immediately engulfed in hugs, collapsing back to the floor as the bodies piled on top of him. He didn't have the strength to protest.

"Thank god you're okay!" Jane said. "You... we did it! I don't know how, but we've..."

"The grumpy lil' Timey Wimey ain't gonna be a problem for us! We got him good! You got him good!"

Jake still took time to gather his bearings. "Wh-... What about Jade..? John..? The oth-...others..."

Roxy slumped. "I don't know. They're gone as well."

"We're not going anywhere without them, don't worry," Jane assured them both. "But we can't stay here for too long. This place gives me the creeps."

They got Jake to his feet, shuffling over to Dirk. Dirk's brow furrowed deep, still in furious rumination. Despite the victory, he didn't seem the least bit satisfied. He looked worried, angry even. His fists clenched tight as he stared at the blankness of stage right, even as Roxy clapped him on the back.

"Your paranoia's getting to you, Strider. It'll be alright."

He didn't even shrug it off as he finally spoke. "Guys. I think we fucked up."

 

Jane gave a puzzled look. "What do you mean? We defeated Cal-... the young Lord English, right?"

 

"Yes and no. But we can't just change the alpha timeline like that. Even if we've sealed this instance of Lord English, he'll always be there. He is already here."

Roxy pulled Dirk in to whisper, trying to keep Jake out of ear shot. "Wellll, so? We've contained the threat for now. Until he resurfaces, which is maybe useless since he can time travel, he's just. Not there... right?"

"Don't you think it's strange that this is the last instance of him that's ever known before he becomes a hulking beast depicted throughout space and time? What if... we created him? What if we're responsible for his new, perhaps even stronger form?"

"Dirk..."

"It makes perfect sense. The Scorpio troll went out to the Furthest Ring to combat him. He hasn't disappeared and what we just did does jack shit. If we don't completely destroy him, and we can never disrupt his chronology like that because it'd just cause a paradox leading to a doomed timeline, then we fucking played into his hands."

Jane piped up from behind. "If it was always meant to happen, then we really can't fault ourselves. We have to resign ourselves that we were forced to play a bad hand, and see how to proceed from here, right?"

Dirk banged his fist against the stage floor, a hollow sound. "That's what infuriates me. We're forever played as suckers at the whims of Paradox Space. I'd say it's hopeless, but that'd be in bad taste. Sorry, Jake."

Jake gave him a weak wave, head still floating too much to give too much of a strong thought to anything.

"Jane's right," Dirk breathed in, sucked in the heavy air, before expelling it all out. "We just have to move forward."

Roxy hugged Dirk, and then pulled all four of them in close. "We can do this guys. I know it."

They held the embrace, the warmth of each other strengthening their resolve. The situation was dire, but still salvageable. The alpha kids still had each other - that was what's important. Against all odds, their friendship would pull them through. That's what kept them going. It may have started out fragile, but they haven't broken. Splinters heal, forged stronger from the fire.

Forward it is.

"Anyway we could amscray out of here?" Jake asked. "I don't think it's doing my recovery any favours."

Roxy wiggled her fingers, a familiar tingly sensation flowing through them. "You know, I have a strong feeling that my abilities can function similar to John's. I may not be able to jump chronology, but we could travel through the void."

"Chronology is redundant between universes and sessions," Dirk noted. "We'll be fine."

"So I'll guide us back to the victory platform," Roxy said. "We'll regroup with the rest and figure out things from there. Trust John and the others. I'm sure they'll find a way," she winked.

And they held hands, forming a ring to banish them from this forsaken crevice of Paradox Space. Roxy let the darkness wash over them, blinking them out of this charade.

They flit throughout the void, a nebulous bridge linking time and space. Of things unseen and forgotten, obscurity of the deepest levels. Roxy did what she could to hold her consciousness, ensuring it didn't sink too deep. She held the essences of her friends in her hands, swimming through her natural element. Blind yet with undisputed instinct. She grasped at the straws, keywords to keep them in mind and more importantly, in her heart. 

She found an anchor: the promise of a new land, the bright light of Skaia juxtaposing against the Furthest Ring's vagaries and uncertainties, a clarity that hooked her. Roxy reeled in, resurfacing, constructing the notions of reality and physicality, bringing them in...

...into a picture of despair.

Karkat lay at Roxy's feet, his bright red pooling against her indigo socks. She felt the bile rise in her throat, covering her mouth and turning from the corpse.

Dirk's adrenaline fired up, sword unsheathed as he stared the Condesce down. The empress flashed with an aura that oscillated through the rainbow, her hands painted similarly. Smudges of red and teal and jade and fuschia.

Jake immediately fell to his knees, the tears welling up uncontrollably. His body shuddered, shaking, almost convulsing. He held onto Roxy, similarly traumatized by the sudden, violent shift and realization.

Jane stood blankly.

Her father, whom she'd just reunited with.

Dead.

Skin shredded. Organs spilt. Pale eyes and crimson blood.

The Condesce caught her eye. They made contact, as Jane's knuckles grew white on the trident. 

"You came back," the empress noted coldly. "You shouldn't have."

Dirk took the chance to evaluate the scene. Crumbling lilypad with a segment blown off by the Droll. Carapace remnants and the burnt cadaver of Terezi - he silently noted her departure, a good partner in battle which he allowed a split second for mourning. Karkat dead. Dave would... no, not Dave now. Burn marks singed all over and streaks of jade strewn about. He didn't want to think about Dad's body. No sign of Kanaya anywhere.

"Jane," Dirk said slowly, each word a carefully curated selection. "You can fix this. You can bring them back. Don't let her get to you."

But Jane wasn't listening anymore.

The Condesce strolled over, almost leisurely, with little pretense. Dirk willed himself to sharpen his senses. To react at the slightest movement. His muscles already practicing the slashes and strikes, all coiled up like a spring. He imagined the Condesce's death, forced the picture to come into being.

"My heiress," the Condesce spoke, her regal accent pronounced, her usual playfulness dropped. "Welcome home."

She stood in front of Jane now, tridents side by side. Jane was unmoving, staring straight at her torso. The Condesce tilted Jane's chin upwards, so that she looked at her. So that she looked at her.

"Jane-" Dirk started.

A single tear rose into Jane's left eye.

And then she snapped.

Jane burst out, sinister energy the likes of never seen before spewing from the seams. Everyone was thrown back. Even the Condesce. Dirk's concentration broke, as Jane took a single step forward and then disappeared, inhuman speed as her trident clashed with the Condesce's.

"Fuck. Janey-!"

It was beyond reckless, but Jane seemed to overpower the Condesce at every turn. She pressed and pressed, her offensive never letting up. Drips and drabs of fuschia surfacing as Jane glanced blows off her. And all the while that foreboding energy of death presiding over it all, Jane at the epicenter.

A single prong pierced Jane in the stomach. She continued as if nothing happened, the wound healing itself up. Her assault was relentless, battering the Condesce from every angle.

There was an incoherent gargle of words as Jane landed a blow to the side of the Condesce's head, stunning the latter. Jane leapt back, hair smouldering with energy and she extended her free hand, crackling aura directed towards the empress. Unlike Jane's usual hue of sky blue, it was a pungent green, the shade of decomposition.

The Condesce howled, screamed even, as the energy tore against her skin and fried her insides. She coughed up puddles of blood, clutching her chest. 

Jane advanced once more, a single strike that impaled the Condesce through her hand and her chest, out the other side. It was merciless, no room for reprieve or dignity. The Condesce couldn't even react as Jane kicked her body, forcing it out of the trident. The Condesce collapsed as Jane followed up with a second bout of energy.

Blood oozed out of her eyes as she trashed, as though every fibre of her being was being punished. With a stubborn grit that led her to conquer empires, the Condesce got to her knees, only for Jane to intensify it, leaving her crumpled on the floor. After an excruciating eternity, Jane let up.

The Condesce took the chance and extended a hand to telekinetically push Jane back, but Jane - already in front of her - kicked it aside, before thrusting the trident into the Condesce's face, pulling it back out, and spearing her again. The empress couldn't even scream as Jane pressed her heel against the back of her throat, crushing it. Jane's other foot kicked the body, upwards and airborne before she let loose another swathe of death energy, engulfing the empress as it tore her very life essence apart, ripping her from the inside. A very specifically tailored torture to suit the Condesce.

Pink now leaked from every known orifice of the Condesce. An undying witch now receiving back all the pain and death she'd dealt, taking it all upon herself. She'd deserved it, but it didn't feel right. It never would.

No such cruelty could ever be justified.

Roxy couldn't even move, petrified and rooted to the spot. Not a single trace of Jane was left. Not even a physical resemblance.

Silky black aura streamed from her hair, extending it all the way to the floor, alive on its own; blossoming curls and billowing rivulets that framed her stature.

Her god tier robes now clad in a black palette, the Life symbol a sickly, corrupted version of itself, its luminescence a contrast against the darkness. Her skin a sickly, translucent complexion. Her sclera a deep black against toxic irises.

Jane Crocker looked the splitting image of her oppressor.

The Condesce lay on the floor writhing, struggling in vain, unable to even look up anymore. Nobody could stop Jane. Not anymore. Not even as Dirk charged forward half heartedly, a lazy strike from Jane enough to push him away.

Jane stared without remorse at the Condesce for one last time, the witch's aura flickering and fading.

_"Die."_

She planted the trident straight into her back, plunging it further until it went all the way through. She held the position as the rainbow energy danced out of the Condesce's body, a celestial whirlwind that shook the lilypad's remains. Jane absorbed it all, her victory claiming the burden of immortality, and the curse that came with it. Conditional mortality, contingent on the desires of Lord English.

All according to plan.

Looking at the lifeless husk of the Condeace, skin moulting and flaking, Roxy stifled a gasp despite having 'killed' her just moments ago. She didn't know how she could've mistaken herself earlier. How would it have been so simple to kill an immortal witch with the ability to fling around planets at ease? But Jane had done it.

There was no doubt that the Condesce was now permanently, irrevocably, absolutely dead.

Jane lorded over the body, no hint of emotion whatsoever. The colours of mayhem cascaded around her, brighter and more forceful than it had been on her predecessor. Jane wore it with superiority, a symbol of her triumph, inspiring a tyrannical fear few had ever known.

To top it all off, the energy moulded itself into a circlet around Jane's forehead. No longer a tiara, but a crown fit for the new queen.

Any semblance of free will she had left in her was gone. Against everything Jane Crocker stood for, she turned and faced her friends.

She roared. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #InversionConfirmed?  
> Basically two (more like one and a half) of BKEW's theories are made almost explicit here. The fall (and inversion) of Jane Crocker and her rise to become one of the two final bosses of the session. BKEW always talked about how Jane inverting would be a perfect example of explicitly showcasing inversion and thus confirming inversion theory (which is never touched upon in Homestuck, especially not after Act 5).
> 
> *UPD8 NOTE*  
> As of this update, I've finished writing most of the story, and can safely say that it'll consist of thirteen chapters. Things are going to start happening, and happening fast. Thank you so much to all those who've dropped by, and any comments are always appreciated! Do spread if you enjoy this story, and it's been a blast writing it.  
> /it'd mean the world if BKEW read this. Especially given how down he's been with the end of Homestuck.
> 
> Thank you all so much!


	6. Thirds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Third time's the charm.

Aurora streaks flared overhead, like spilled ink diffusing through water. Four gods gazed upon the unfolding situation beneath them, before springing into action.

Dave halted English in place, and John summoned a torrent of wind that blew his physical form away. The monster broke free with ease, another legion charging him and forcing him to be on the defensive. He brought out the big guns, machine gun rattling and lasers demolishing. He swept the floor, decimating the army, and leaving more than half struggling to get back to their feet.

 

“Hold your ground!” Rose commanded, before sending a luminescent, amethyst ball tumbling into Lord English, detonating just as it hits his chest. No damage, but the explosion was strategic enough to topple him over, allowing a battalion to pounce onto him.

Sensing what’s to come, Jade abused her First Guardian abilities as much as possible. She's a powerhouse, sizing up ghosts to gargantuan proportions, allowing giant Tavroses and Latulas to rampage about, stomping on English before getting burned up. They acted as tanks that could take the brunt of one of English’s blasts alone. Ghosts ready to martyr themselves all step up, forming walls that shoulder the afterlives of thousands.

Then Jade teleported key players into tactical locations, directed by Rose, orchestrating with her baton wand the scene before them. It was utter mayhem, a flurry of sweaty ghost bodies pounding away while simultaneously being whisked into and out of the battle.

All this for our heroine to set up her ultimate attack. Because everyone knew that barring extreme circumstances - which she was trying to pull - everything else was ultimately futile.

“I can lure English away,” Jade volunteered. “If I’m careful enough, since I’m the closest here to his equal and-"

“No!” Rose stopped her. “We need you here. And we need him here. She’s almost done."

The Green Sun swirled high above, its corona now seeping outwards into spirals. Calliope guided it with her wand baton, a skilful conductor nudging in the right places, a symphony impossible to play emerging from the depths of the Sun. There was a certain grandeur to its movements, the way it enunciated its mass, like a colossus awakening from slumber, everything deliberate and heavy. Oh so heavy. The weight of two past universes, and the future of many more.

Vriska Serket stood, and slowly but surely, the Green Sun funnelled into her via the juju. She had been ready to receive this her whole life. Everything a buildup to this moment. Why construct a doomsday machine, a weapon to bring about the apocalypse, when you can be one yourself?

The Thief Of Light now increased the tempo, the essence of the sun being pulled into her, as she stole its power for her gain, fully aware of the consequences.

What happens to a star that can no longer sustain itself?

Only seconds now. Vriska was glowing green now, her silhouette accentuated by the overwhelming light within her, the light around her, highlighting her newfound power. She would be the one to defeat English. She could feel it, the way it coarsed through her blood, filling her very being. Whereas the First Guardians merely access the sun's power, now she has the power. She _is_ the power.

The Green Sun reached a critical tipping point. It's being dragged away, becoming less and less, yet at the same time more and more.

The center cannot hold.

What happens to a sun that can no longer be a sun?

It 8r8ks.

The Muse of Space sensed this the moment it happened, and compressed the Sun completely, the sheer mass collapsing into itself. The Green Sun was no more, and instead a black hole took its place. It's more accurate to say that the black hole was the Green Sun, or what remained of it. Vriska had its power, but what remained of its husk was simply darkness, one that not even light could escape from.

It pulls. The center pulls.

Vriska turned to face down her opponent.

In the most anti-climatic victory in the history of Paradox Space, Lord English fell. His body, a vessel and host of the Green Sun, could no longer exist. His First Guardian powers vanished. His First Guardian body collapsed.

His eyes stopped flashing, stopping at two eight balls. For all intents and purposes, he was dead. His body unmoving, no longer flickering, all the energy and power he had possessed, gone.

No longer a threat here.

Jade Harley howled, screaming. A significant part of her in turmoil, rejecting its very existence. She glitched, distorted, her energy gone amok. There was nothing anyone else could do.

With determined eyes she looked upon her three best friends.

_I have to live._

She imploded, almost like a black hole taking itself with it, and all her energy was cast above, the Green Sun no longer a part of her. Her body fell, lifeless, and Rose managed to catch her. They lowered her to the ground, putting her to rest.

But Jade Harley was not going to stay asleep any longer.

Flecks of the universe surrounded her, performing an intricate pattern that engulfed her. They were of every shade of the visible spectrum, and then some more; colours beyond that which the human eye could see now brought into being, as all gazed at her in sheer wonder and awe. Her body lifted itself, as though suspended by strings so fragile they could snap any moment. But they don't.

Jade Harley lived.

Somewhere in the Land of Mounds and Xenon, Gcatavrosprite napped in peace, purring periodically. He fizzled, and then exploded, unable to maintain its form without the Green Sun. The first guardian was no more, and Tavros was sent back to the dream bubbles.

The black hole expanded now, eating anything that allows itself to be fed. Right now, it is not a threat. But it will grow, and grow, and grow. Reality knew it. Reality could feel it. Dream bubbles started to crack beneath the stress, the center of the universe dragging them in.

The destruction wrecked by Lord English was visible, a perfect circle around Paradox Space. The fractures were haphazard lines that connected one to each other, but ultimately formed their true shape. A ring that surrounded the Sun. That surrounded the black hole.

But it was still too early for the inevitable, for the imminent.

"Just like that?" Vriska asked. She felt gr8. She's the strongest she's ever been. She had defeated the great evil.

But she's still unsatisfied.

"No final fight? No fancy tricks? No plot twist? No shenanigans?"

She rambled on in disbelief, a vengeful god with so much potential, unable to release itself.

"Well bummer," John shrugged. "I guess we're not needed here anymore.” None of them really cared about or noticed the orange guy creeping around Lord English’s body, dancing over it until Vriska chased it away. He scooted off, never to be seen by any of them again.

Dave still cradled Jade's head. "Hey you sure you're ok?”

"I'm fine, Strider," Jade smiled. "It's not like I've never died before."

Dave winced. "It's never a pleasant experience."

"Well yeah duh, but I knew I'd come back," Jade grinned. “Still aches like hell, but I’ll cope. I’m done being passive. I'm done waiting or sleeping or staying dead. I'm here now!"

"Tell that to her," Rose said, pointing at Vriska. "She just got the biggest psyche-out ever."

Jade chuckled. "It can't be helped, I guess. It felt all too easy! But then, it's not over till it's over, yeah? We have work to do."

"After all that time cooped in there?" Dave said. "Yeah, about time we did something. Although shenanigans probably meant we never left." He shivered at the thought of being sealed up. "When we're free, then maybe we can chill or something."

"Make sure you introduce Karkat to Netflix," Rose said, straight faced. "You can both binge on rom-coms together."

"It's a bit early to celebrate, don't you think?"

The four turned their heads, as Aradia and Sollux joined them. "Hi! Isn't this nostalgic?"

"Meeting each other at the birth and death of the sun? Pretty fucking thematic, I guess," Dave said.

Aradia giggled. "Jade is right. There are still things to be done. For one, there's her," Aradia pointed straight above.

John squinted his eyes really hard. "Huh? Who?"

"The Muse of Space," Rose said calmly. "What about her?"

"Her existence necessitates special conditions," Aradia hinted. "There's a need to create her. Ensure she comes into being. You can feel it, can't you Dave? This is a loop that needs closing."

"But!" Jade said. "I thought she was doomed?"

"N0t necessarily," Sollux spoke up. "I w0uld kn0w that myself."

Rose folded her arms. "You're suggesting a scratch. A third one. The very nature of a Scratch causes the players to change, and it would bring about the conditions to bring out a version of Calliope which predominated instead."

"Bingo," Aradia snapped. "With John here, it's possible. Warp someone into the session, and ta-da!"

"That easy?" Dave said. "I know English is a hero of Time, but do dead sessions have scratch constructs?"

"Don't know," Aradia said, clicking her tongue. "But there's only one way to find out!"

Jade shivered. “The other Calliope is… different. I suppose there had to be different circumstances. Drastic ones. But we need her, so I guess that’s what we’ll have to do."

“It’ll be easy enough!” John said, enthusiastic. “I’ll whisk us away to Lord English’s session, and then we can figure out what to do from there-"

“T00 much time,” Sollux grimaced. “It l00ks like we might’ve w0n here, but I sense s0mething g0ing h0rribly, h0rribly wr0ng.” He whispered now. “The 0thers."

A sick, tight knot found themselves into each of the kids’ chests. Rose straightened herself. “Then we need to make a decision, now. One of us will carry out the Scratch, and the rest of us will head back to the lilypad and remedy whatever’s happening. Most likely, another deciding battle awaits us."

“I might have lost my Green Sun powers, but I still have many abilities at my disposal!” Jade announced. “John can handle the teleporting anyway, so I’ve become redundant. And-"

"I’ll go."

All heads turned to Dave, sword at the ready and shrugging his shoulders. “We’re not gonna pretend it was gonna be anyone else, right?"

“Dave…” Jade started.

“Nah, nah it’s cool. It has to be me, I get it. John, hurry up and zap me, and we’ll-"

“Dave,” Rose warned.

The Knight of Time dove into John’s personal space, grabbing him by the hood. “Come on, John. Everyone’s waiting-"

“Dave!” Jade shouted. “Stop acting like it has to be the end! Escaping the Scratch is easy, it’s-"

“Could you just let me do my thing?” Dave shot back. “Look, this Scratch isn’t gonna be like the others. Third time’s the charm, right? We don’t even know how to trigger it, or what’s gonna happen! Being the dude of Time, I can already tell that things aren’t gonna go as planned, so I’m preparing myself for the worst, alright? If I don’t come back-"

His words were cut off, muffled as Jade went in for a hug, stifling all opposition. Dave squirmed a little, but otherwise settled, relenting as he let her warm embrace take him. “Be safe,” she whispered, as John and Rose joined now, the four of them sharing a first and last moment together.

“Ahem,” Aradia cleared her throat, the cue for them to break up. “Sollux wants to join the main party. The impending, no already present doom is drawing him in."

“AA’s g0nna stay behind,” Sollux said, floating over. “Wanting t0 see the end all the way thr0ugh."

“It’s settled,” John declared, cracking his neck. He gave a knowing look at Dave, his best, most trusted friend. “Go get em' bro. Drop it like it's hot-"

"While the pimp's in the crib,” Dave finished.

And off he went, in a blaze of blue glory.

* * *

Dave appeared, cloaked in a blue halo, vibrating until he took physical form and the aura faded away. It was disorienting, the travel to another universe. But it was also a trip down uncanny valley. Because deep in his gut, he just knew that the planet around him had to be Earth. It was unsettling, as he floated throughout the ruins of a home planet he thought he'd never see again.

The Land of Colours and Mayhem was as psychedelic as its namesake. Monochrome grey formed the base for a twisted carnival pulsating with distorted life, the planet's palette erratic and never staying still. It was Pandemonium in every sense of the word, chaos rampant throughout the desolate land.

"So," he breathed, talking to no one in particular. "I gotta scratch something."

Dave puffed his cheeks, and got to work. He drifted, sword by his side, looking for anything prominent that he could slice up. But there was nothing.

He felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Holy-"

He spun around, lashing out, sword a neat arc that nearly slashed its intended target.

"Woah woah! It's only me-ow! Dang that nearly hurt!"

Davepetasprite^2 flickered behind Dave, giving a wave with their claws. "Hi Dave! I guess sur-purrising you wasn't a good idea, huh?"

Stunned silence was all that followed, Dave's expression unreadable.

"What's the matter, Dave? Cat got your tongue?" Davepeta joked. Dave could only groan and facepalm.

"...Davesprite? But-"

"Oh yeah you don't really know I exist. Oh well! I do! It was quite a shock for the others as well!"

Dave frowned. "You met them too?"

"Sure I did! I was at the final battlefield with y'all. Managed to ruffle up English's feathers quite a bit! John sent me here at my request."

"I am very confused now," Dave said, the onset of a migraine threatening him.

"Sure you are! And I know you must have a lot of questions, but we can catch up later! Much... later. We'll have an eternity after this anyway, should we succeed. For now, I'm gonna have to say thanks! And ask you to back off."

"Woah, woah, _woah._ Back off?"

Claws out, Davepeta poked Dave lightly in the chest. "Yes, silly! You believe that by doing this you fulfill the purr-ophecy, right? But you don't have to be the one doing it. Not when you are so obviously going on another permanent suicide mission."

"But-"

"Uh uh uh, no buts," Davepeta put their fingers to Dave's lips. "That's enough from you now. You can't die. Not just yet. The fact that you were willing to sacrifice yourself speaks volumes of that!"

Dave removed the fingers, unamused. "I don't really get it. No offense to you, but I am the Alpha Dave-"

"None taken,” Davepeta purred, cheery. "I'm a whole new entity altogether now!"

"-and wouldn't it make sense for me to do this? I mean I'm playing by the game's stupid rules here. We can't just cheat like this, consequences happen. If an insignificant other self could just do it... then what does that reflect on me..?"

His voice now became hushed, his grip on the sword tightening. "You're me, so you know. I'm not a hero. I've never believed that. Even now. I am perfectly happy and I've come a long way, and even fought in some really cool battles. But I still don't..."

Davepeta floated over to pat Dave on the back. "Oh love, as someone who has access to all versions of you, you are more than a hero, Dave."

"Don't I have to do something?" Dave said. "This is big. And this is like, the resolution to my arc? Fuck, Rose is rubbing off on me. This game is rubbing off on me. For so long I've just rejected everything about it and just wanted to be. Some dude. Chilling around. Making sweet jams maybe and peanut butter to go with. I'm just another guy, but then again, I'm not, right?"

Dave looked above, towards the black hole where Caliborn's Skaia once resided. "I was destined for this, I guess. And it's taken me so long. I am the Knight of Time, whatever that means, and that's like, my ultimate self or whatever-"

"An aspect of your ultimate self," Davepeta corrected, ever patient.

Dave coughed. "Okay well yeah, whatever, but that's a part of my identity. And I figured, I'm gonna do this right. I’ve just... I’ve noticed things. Or felt them. The way this whole thing is nudging me towards, as though I’ve really got to sacrifice this big thing. And that maybe then and only then I could claim my own victory. If I somehow get through it okay, then maybe being the Dave of Guy afterwards can be my cool reward or something. I'd have earned it, even though I don't have to. But that's what makes it special."

"You've grown up, Dave," Davepeta smiled. “Even if you might be feeling down, you poor thing. And you're going to go back okay. No need for any large sacrifice. I promise you that!"

"But-"

"Hush, my dear," Davepeta said. "You were heroic enough. You had the will. The intention. And you followed up with action, to prove that your words and thoughts were worth their weight! Your being here is more than enough!"

"What if I chickened out the last minute," Dave argued. "Or... I can't find the stupid scratch construct for all eternity, or-"

"I’ll take it from here, Dave. I’m not about to let you go to waste."

Dave sighed, taking one long look at the sprite-squared, and let his shoulders drop. "Okay, fine, I guess. But how are you-"

"No need for questions, silly goose! I can't believe you really wanted to die. Stupid suicidal Striders. Tell Dirk for me, will ya? Decapitation is not the only option every fucking time."

"Erm," Dave started.

"I brought this!" Davepeta said, as they materialized a fenestrated window. "It worked the first time, ya?"

Dave continued to be speechless, so Davepeta carried on yammering. "I have an out as well, so don't worry about me. Anyway, even after the Scratch, I'll be back here. There's much to do."

"There is?"

"This is why you leave it to me, Dave. Now, say hi to the rest for me!"

"But-"

Without warning, Davepeta kicked Dave through the fenestrated window, out the other side and into the void. Following that, they immediately cut the power, so that he couldn't come back. 

"And come on," they said out loud to no one in particular. "I have three claws right here. For the Third Scratch? Like duhhh. How obvious can it be that I was meant to do this?"

Davepeta stretched, licking their claws, sauntering about as though they had all the time in the world. They did.

"I know you're there, kitty," they said lazily. "Come on out."

A pink fenestrated window winked into existence, as Jasprosesprite^2 peeked her head out, looking guilty.

"Aw, was I that obvious?" she whined.

"You were grinning like a Cheshire throughout that whole conversation," Davepeta smirked. "Your smile is contagious, love. Made me wanna burst into song and dance."

"I thought it was really sweet!" she said, floating out now to join them. "Dave's come so far. They all have."

Usually chatty, Davepeta opted with just a smile this time, cheeks lifted with pride.

Jasprose flitted around her companion. "We're gonna win this, aren't we?"

"Of course," Davepeta replied. "If you believe, it'll happen."

She nodded, as though already expecting the simple answer, but just needed to hear it for affirmation. "So, this is it huh?"

"Yeee-up," Davepeta popped their 'p's, gazing at the land before them. "What a planet."

"A lil' loco for my tastes," Jasprose signed, an uneasy expression on her face. "Sheesh, we should hurry, shouldn't we?"

"Not really in a rush," Davepeta said. "And we're not here for games, Jasprose."

Jasprose looked offended. "You think I'm playing around? I participated in the battle! Made best friends with the Condesce!"

"I'm saying that you're not of any more help here. Now go. Dave will need your guidance. I'll join y'all in a moment.

"Aww..." she pouted. "I really wanted to see that Third Scratch."

"Come on now, Jasprose," Davepeta said. "I'll tell you all about it after, okay? But I really need some alone time to concentrate."

"Fine. But at least tell me, how're you gonna do it? A dead session doesn't have a Scratch construct, us sprites know that."

Davepeta gave a triumphant look. "You choose your own victory, and you choose your own rules," they said, rehashing and drilling the answer into Jasprose. "As long as you have the heart and the patience, and set youself to it, anything can happen."

"Anything?"

Davepeta looked deadly serious. "Anything."

Jasprose frowned, almost in disbelief but she knew she could trust her partner. "Alright then. See you on the other side!"

And with that, she was gone.

Davepeta took their time, admiring whatever remained of the planet. This was their planet too, where a part of them had grown up on. They dug at the memories, clawing through all they'd known about Earth. There was so much to unravel, a ball of yarn too thick for any mortal to properly consolidate, to string out into something coherent. Nobody'd be able to do anything about it.

But Davepeta could.

They found what they were looking for easily enough. A well-known symbol that lay waist deep on the planet. Unlike the others, this one was whole enough, and not as horrible looking. Glancing upon the statue, Davepeta knew it had to be the original, whatever original meant. Dave was right in that respect - originals did hold a certain power. Then again, Davesprite was really the original Dave, wasn't he? He who chose to sacrifice everything, his entire timeline, to save a friend.

Funny how things work out, Davepeta mused, as they pawed the Statue of Liberty.

"You'll do nicely as my construct. Free us from this tyranny once and for all, Lady Liberty!"

Three long, hard slashes carved itself into the statue's face, uniform scratches that Davepeta put all of their spirit into, all of their determination. They willed it into significance, into being, accessing all forms of metaphorical and metatextual resonance that added power to the statue. Into the act of defacing it. The symbols hold all the power, after all, if you know what you want.

The statue glowed, a deep crimson emanating from the scars like blood flowing out. Earth shook, a bellowing behemoth rumbling, as though awakening from a deep slumber. Above, the black hole expanded, and the Earth's movement caused itself to gravitate towards it.

Now the entire planet was glowing, and even the black hole seemed to be in sync with it. The same way Skaia normally accepts the Scratch construct, the black hole was ready to accept Earth. The red that filled the scratches now turned green, a blessing and a knowing, Davepeta satisfied with the job.

"Well, time to go!"

Space around them began to fizzle; distorted, jagged patterns creeping from the Furthest Ring towards the center. Davepeta hopped into the fenestrated window, out of the range of the Scratch's effects. The black sky lit with a new intensity of white, a blank canvas waiting for history to be rewritten, the black hole at the nexus, a portal to transport our story from one page to the next.

Earth gets sucked in, and the session disappears, consumed by an infinite white which then collapses on itself, this instance of the universe no more, its chronology terminating.

Ready for a new beginning.

* * *

 Hot, humid air cursed the barren planet, steam rustling around red rock. A single egg incubated at the core of a crater, wobbling ever so slightly from time to time.

 Davepetasprite^2 warped back in, a blue blur into a torrent of orange and green, blaring and loud amidst the tranquil landscape.

 Ever so slowly, the egg cracked, slimy gel oozing down the shell's sides. A baby cherub slithered out, taking their first whiffs of stale, hot air. Davepeta observed the serpentine newborn, their tongue alternating stripes of black and white, their heterochromatic eyes darting about. A child full of promise, one who could make or break all of reality. But now so harmless, so fragile.

 Davepeta gave them a curious look, before prodding their red eye gently with extended claws. The baby squirmed, wriggling and rolling about as they dealt with the pain. No tears.

 Caliborn shirked away, receding into the background as the baby blinked a few times. The conflicted facial features changed, spirals glowing white until they resolved into one. A pair of innocent, green eyes greeted Davepeta, Calliope gazing at the sprite in wonder.

 "Hello, my dear," Davepeta crooned, stroking her bald head, looking at her as though she was the most precious baby in the universe. She was. 

 They took her into their hands, forming a throne that cradled the baby who would become the martyr of reality.

 "It’s time for me to teach you about _determination."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we finally have the Third Scratch.
> 
> There's a writeup I did about this chapter on my tumblr which you can find here: (http://vestaparadoxx.tumblr.com/post/144728381991/chapter-6-discussions) cause I don't wanna clog up this part too much. I think there's a lot to discuss about all this!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and comments are always appreciated!


	7. Not Quite a Horcrux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He Who Must Not Be Named makes his final move.

"Fuck, Janey! No-!"

Jane Crocker expended bout after bout of limitless power, cursed to go against the people she loved the most. Her irises flashed the same way her master's did, circulating through the rainbow in a second. She raged, her residual anger all but subsiding, carrying out her mission to erase and decimate.

Oblivious to them, the Green Sun crumbled overhead, a speck in the sky slowly losing its light.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," cursed Roxy, frantic in conjuring walls of more generic objects to shield them from Jane's surge of rainbow energy. The blocks were incinerated as soon as they were out up, the containment failing as Jane thrashed about. "You have a plan, Dirk? I can't keep this up forever! The walls won't hold her for long!"

Dirk tensed, tentative in resolve as his arcs of soul-destroying lightning flickered around Jane, doing little more than stinging. Jake's own Hope abilities were running on empty, his despair allowing no more than an intermittent twinkle of white light. Each further attempt brought him deeper down the rabbit hole, each failure another nail in the coffin.

Katana drawn, Dirk and Roxy intuitively sent it into the void, traveling through the pocket dimension before materializing it in Jane's chest. Roxy did the same for her own sword which she pulled, twin blades impaling the body of her best friend. Jane coughed, stumbled slightly, but otherwise looked up with eyes full of hate. 

Roxy could've never imagined that expression being directed at her.

Jake fired, the first two shots missing by a wide margin. He couldn't steady his hand, marksman skills useless as his twin pistols quivered. Dirk held his arms, and the third shot grazed Jane's cheek. No response, and it was eerie to see her skin curl back in, the wound vanishing without a trace.

She pulled both blades out of her, one by one, hurling each to the side. The holes in her body closed up, rainbow energy slinking across the floor. Then Jane was gone from sight.

Roxy could only feel a heel against the small of her back. She whipped around on instinct, the friction giving her blisters around the waist as she came to face Jane. A single kick and she was slammed into the floor, a few ribs immediately cracking. Roxy cried out, and Jake sent another scattershot volley but Jane was now gone, engaging with Dirk as they duked it out.

Her speed was beyond that of gods, Dirk unable to keep up the duel for more than a few seconds. If not for Roxy sending him to the void, he would've been fatally speared.

Dirk popped back in from above, his blade going deep into the back of Jane's neck. She didn't so much as flinch, her trident knocking Dirk away. The three of them lay sprawled on the floor, badly beaten and bruised with accumulated fatigue from the previous battles. It had been high intensity all the way, little rest in between.

If there was any glimmer of hope that they'd make it out alright, it threatened to snuff out any moment.

"Dirk," Roxy warned, at her wits' end. "I can't think of anything. I could banish Janey but what good would that do? I can't keep track of her there, and she might even bust out through sheer power alone. That's not... good for the fabric of reality."

Jane didn't move. Whether she was wrestling with the curse, lacked an insatiable appetite for combat, or simply not doing anything, they had a moment's reprieve to exchange words.

"I need time to think," Dirk replied, curt. "Send me away. Give me a minute okay?"

Roxy nodded, solemn. "I'll buy you the time you need. Come on, Jake."

Balled fists and drawn pistols were the last thing Dirk saw before he was greeted with an eerie silence, and only nothingness to accompany him.

He reached deep into his psyche, and split his soul into three, each fractured versions of the whole acting as hypothetical foils to each other.

"This is a tougher battle than with Caliborn."

"We need to extract the curse from Jane. That's not something independent from her soul."

"Which means our abilities are useless."

"Not quite. We could still bind her for the time being until we figure out a more permanent solution-"

"We don't have time."

"Rose was talking about the Condesce's curse. It grants conditional mortality, contingent on service to Lord English. It's been hinted that the curse does not pass unless he wills it."

"Even then the mechanics are nebulous. It seems to have transferred whenever the host is killed, but we only have a tenuous sample size of two to confirm this."

"Jane overwhelmed the Condesce and exposed herself through emotional vulnerability. Could that have played a part?"

"Focus. Don't digress."

"This is a war of attrition. We have to hold out as long as possible."

"Less than thirty seconds left."

"We've established that killing Jane - if that's even possible - is the only means of removing the curse from her. But then who will bear that burden."

"Anyone of us gladly would. But killing Jane permanently is out of the question."

"Agreed. We need to find some alternative."

"What about combining our abilities? We could do something about Roxy banishing things to the void." 

"How about Jake? He can make the impossible possible. What if he twisted our soul destroying abilities and crystallized it into a very specific form that targets only the curse?"

"No. That won't work."

"Stop using his abilities as a Deus Ex Machina panacea. It has boundaries and rules that cannot be immediately exploited or broken. Not so easily."

"Especially not at this juncture."

"Time's almost up."

"Nothing?"

"No. We've established what wouldn't work. We hammer on everything else."

"I have an idea-" 

Dirk saw a light, tunnel vision as his physical sense tingled. It was time to go back.

A shame he couldn't alter the flow of time here - even though the Furthest Ring had properties independent of any session or universe. He'd have to work with what he got. 

He collapsed himself into a singularity, a Dirk armed with the resolve to follow through with what needed to be done.

Dirk landed by Roxy's side, skin still prickling from rematerialization. He arrived just in time to witness a fraymotif combination between Roxy and Jake. Jake was hollering, the ground quaking with cracks of light which Roxy directed towards Jane, seeming to overwhelm her. The Page was on the verge of tears, seemingly suffocated by his own light, and he released his spell the moment he saw Dirk.

"Work with me," Dirk tapped Roxy, as they executed a combo of their own. Sword pointed towards Jane, Dirk dug into its essence and splintered the blade, producing three more that orbited him. Already familiar with the structure of the katana, Roxy excavated three more from the void, before sending all six into Jane, hindering her once again. She writhed with pain, drawing each blade out of her giving Dirk enough time to explain his strategy.

"Jake! I'm not asking for a miracle but I need some of your juice. Care to squeeze it out for me?"

"Lighten up on the innuendo," Roxy ~~wonked~~ winked, causing Dirk to sigh but grin. Even in times of crisis, she could help lighten the mood - exactly what Jake needed right now.

"Rox," Dirk said. "We can cast her soul into the void, contain her for the moment and find some way to pick apart her curse. Without a physical body, perhaps the curse cannot be sustained? It's worth trying, but we can do it." 

She caught on immediately. "Gotcha," she said, readying herself as Jane pulled out the last of the swords within her.

Without missing a beat, Dirk struck a pose as the full force of his soul-destroying arcs burst out, enrapturing Jane as she howled. Dirk could see her corrupted soul struggling, as he pulled it out from her body. Roxy activated her reserve powers, summoning all her strength from within as she began to aid in the extraction.

"Come on, Jake!" Dirk shouted. "We can do this!"

Poor Jake, thrown from dire situation to another, finally saw a sliver of a silver lining, chest puffed out as he breathed in, sparks of Hope frolicking at his feet.

"Y-yeah! We can!"

White light enveloped the four, Jake extending the radius of his Hope field, the most mysterious of the 12 aspects, not only skewing probability but sheer possibility. The trio pushed on, the tug of war slowly but surely tilting in their favour. Jake opened himself up, pouring out an exponential amount of Hope as his very being hummed, choirs of angels circling above him singing hymns of praise.

Above, the Green Sun finally collapsed, its light extinguished, no longer a beacon, a dot in the sky.

Dirk swore he could see a teethy smile on Jane's face that didn't belong to her.

The soul of Lord English traversed universes, a slithering python that shot past the corner of Dirk's eye.

It was too fast for him to react; he was too slow to process the ramifications, too distracted by having to deal with Jane.

As it coiled around Jake, and then forcefully entered his being.

The Hope field immediately went out as Jake buckled to his knees. He screamed, green veins popping throughout his skin, down his bare legs, his right one swelling and engorged with too much muscle for his bones to hold up.

He coughed up a sludge of thick blood, his helpless, hopeless eyes staring directly at Dirk. Jake screamed, his eyes threatening to pop out, his right leg now encased in a golden cast as his hands grew more grotesque, the soul inside him fighting for dominance in a battle he had never lost. 

Jake tilted his head up to Skaia, a final, futile plea. Then his head exploded, decapitated itself as his body went limp.

Dirk could feel something heavy in his back. Looking down, his own fractured blade had been skewed right through his torso. Jane had gotten him while he was distracted.

He didn't get the chance to see the body's revival. Witness Lord English's head forcing its way to growth, his gnarly teeth surrounded by flesh and muscle that plastered close to his skull, his signature eyes asserting itself as the rainbow energy collected itself around its master's body. All he felt was a hand around his waist, and then darkness. 

Roxy retreated them both to the void, utterly defeated as Lord English once again reigned supreme, taking two of them with him. His Maid and his Page, servants from birth he finally made a move to claim.

Jake English's insidious laughter could be felt throughout Paradox Space, and all wise enough to fear it would bow to their Lord.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Jake finally succumbs, and our Final Bosses established.  
> Let's see how this pans out.  
> Chapter title because number 7 (magic magic magic), and because of Hope's (Ampora's) association to Harry Potter (magic magic magic) ahhh I don't have to explain these do I?


	8. 8r8k

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's for you, charlesoberonn

This is the point in the story where I emphasize that the narrator, is not the author.

If not, then part of this chapter would be painful self-aggrandizing, as we now turn our attention to the author himself.

That's right. Andrew Hussie.

But not just yet.

Somewhere in the Furthest Ring, through broken glass and cracks in reality, a young couple sits, watching the light show signifying the beginning of the end. Their arms are intertwined and their fingers locked together. They have until the end of time to talk, to catch up, but they choose not to now.

Even though they both realize in their gut that the end of time isn't far away.

Vriska Serket and Terezi Pyrope have found company in each other, reconciled after three years. These versions of them are the ones we are all painfully familiar with. We have walked with them through their journey, through their ascensions and falls, their alliances and betrayals, through life and death.

It's only fitting that we see them till the end.

Now this is where our orange friend comes in. With the conclusion of the flashy pow wow back at where the ghost army was, Hussie saw no reason to stay. He was where the party was, where excitement ruled king and shenanigans unfolded.

But he couldn't get there, so here he is, kicking down the beaten path of memory lane, strolling with his hands in his pockets, fingers lording over some sweet loot that dropped from the corpse of the defeated English.

"You!" Hussie said, pointing at the couple. He shambled over, groping outwards.

Vriska immediately stood up, shielding Terezi. "It's okay. He just wants me, I think."

Hussie fidgeted, hunched over awkwardly as he tried to dredge up the words for this reunion. This is the Vriska I know, he thought. Not that other one, who punched me in the balls. Dang, that was rough.

"Orange guy. What do you want with me?"

"Nothing, really. Just... are you willing to accept my proposal this time?"

He got down on his knee, the ring in his pocket, Terezi's face appalled and full of disgust. He fished for it, careful not to slide it onto his own finger, fumbled with the ring as he placed it between his thumb and index. Mustering all his authority and courage, he asked the question he failed to say the last time.

"My spider lady Vriska, will you marry me?"

Now Vriska doesn't have an inkling of what 'marry' means. The concept of a domestic life between two individuals eludes her, as well as all of troll society. What she does know, is that the same guy was offering the same treasure which she stupidly refused the first time. The Ring of Life that could bring her back from the dead.

Question is, does she want it this time?

"What do you think?" Vriska asked Terezi, turning to face her.

"W3LL 1 TH1NK H3 1S DO1NG SOM3TH1NG 1ND3C3NT 4ND 1 DONT L1K3 1T. SM3LLS B4D."

Vriska scrunched up her nose. "Yes, he is doing one of their lame human mating rituals, 8ut I mean the ring."

"OH Y34H," Terezi said. "TH3 R1NG."

"What's the catch, old man?" Vriska asked, eyeing the ring suspiciously.

Hussie looked bewildered. "Well, you marry me obviously-"

Vriska gave him a good slap on the face. Hussie's body contorted in a puppet like fashion, but his lower body holds its position. The ring still glimmered with the light of Paradox Space fracturing above.

"You know damn well I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. So?"

Hussie frowned, looking visibly betrayed. "I just wanted to give you this nice ring. Do you have to 8r8k my heart like this, Vriska?"

Vriska rolled her eyes, and fell back on consulting with Terezi. "I don't know, Pyrope. I'd go... but I'll 8e leaving you 8ehind."

"GO 1F YOU N33D TO, S3RK3T."

"I can come 8ack, can't I?"

"OF COURS3 YOU C4N, STUP1D," Terezi grinned. "1F YOU L3FT M3 4LON3 FOR3V3R, 1D COM3 B4CK TO DR4G YOUR S3LF 3NT1TL3D 4SS B4CK DOWN H3R3."

Vriska faced Hussie again. "Do they need me? The rest? Has my other self defeated Lord English?"

"Maybe, probably, yes but no."

"Give me a str8 answer damn it! 8efore I punch you in the face!"

Hussie shuddered at the thought of meeting her fist again. "Last I heard, they're in a tight spot, ok? English's cherub body is down, but he's found a new host. That boy you called Joke."

"TH3 ON3 W1TH TH3 F4NCY UND3RP4NTS?"

"Yes, that one," Hussie sighed. "Crocker is cursed, Strider is wounded, things are going bad and the real final battle is neigh."

Vriska sighed. “Those idiots can’t do anything right without me, huh?” She narrowed her eyes. “This is just an elaborate ploy for you to finally 8ring me 8ack to relevance, isn’t it?"

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hussie whistled innocently. “You’ve done plenty of important things as a ghost."

“How did you-"

Vriska paused, catching herself and taking a breath. The clarity that came with slowing down was something she learnt in the afterlife, where you had an unlimited time to work things out. Things were always suspicious, especially when it came to this dude. He’s clearly a human, yet not really? His existence itself should’ve never been - how did he even get here? Was he a player? Which session and what role? How about his teammates; did he play a dead session (no w8y!)? How did, despite seeming utterly useless, he seem to appear around major events and seem to just...

There was something very off about him. It hadn’t escaped her keen gaze. And Vriska was going to confront it now.

"Orange. I haven't really 8een a8le to confirm this, 8ut I wanna know. You... you made all this, didn't you? 8eyond gods creating universe frogs in the expanse of Paradox Space.”

The hypothesis was out.

Andrew Hussie seemed to barely listen. "Mm yeah."

"That sounds about right,” Vriska said, half-kidding. "Only someone as fucked up as you could craft a sick joke like this.” Hussie still looked uncaring, and Vriska got fed up.

“8ut I'm serious here. You need to 8e serious.” She held Hussie by his neckline. “You’re not kidding, right? Like you're 8eing serious and not ru88ing your gru8 proclaiming yourself as a god or some shit. I asked you this question, 8ecause you seem to be a8ove all this yet a part of it, and I can’t quite put my finger on what you are. 8ut I need to know, now."

Hussie strained against his bonds, but knew that he couldn’t escape Vriska’s clutches. Sighing, he let his limbs flop to the side, as he gave her his straightest possible face. “Yes, I am pretty serious. I am the author of this story."

“WH4T DO3S TH4T M34N?” Terezi asked.

Never one for simply telling, Hussie knew that showing was an essential storytelling skill as any other. He _snopped_ his fingers and immediately slipped out of Vriska’s grasp, becoming a grotesque caricature of himself bouncing about. Vriska immediately recoiled in disgust, and Terezi drew her cane-sword.

Then for good measure, Hussie _snopped_ again. Both trolls felt themselves literally degrading, almost dumbing down and losing all basic notions of themselves. Their hands were lines thinner than sticks. Their body was a single lumpy mass, little to no complexity to keep it going. Their expressions completely bland and defaced, and they didn’t even have the capacity to feel the horror they should’ve.

_Unsnop._

And they were back, panting, Hussie having made his point.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it,” Vriska said, the experience enough convincing for her.

"R34L1TY R34LLY 1SNT WH4T IT S33MS,” Terezi agreed.

The implications of this all fell into place. If this sad sack of a puppet was really the ultimate puppeteer, then he orchestrated all the events that had ever happened. He would’ve been the big bad, if he wasn’t already dead and useless. But that meant...

"So you killed me... and then you killed yourself?"

"The story writes itself," Hussie shrugged. "I just put it down and give it form."

“Is that why things seem to 8e getting out of whack?” Vriska asked. “What the fuck is even happening anymore?"

“As you’ve kindly pointed out, I’m dead,” Hussie gestured. “I’m no longer in control anymore. Never was, really."

“TH3N,” Terezi cut in. “WHOS DR1V1NG TH3 B4TMOB1L3?"

...

The both of them looked at her as she shrugged. “LOOK 1M D34D 4S W3LL. I C4N BR1NG B4CK 4LL TH3 M3M3S I W4NT, YOU LOS3RS."

“Can’t argue with that,” Hussie snapped. Vriska instinctively flinched when she saw his fingers move, but he waved it away. “I won’t be doing that again, don’t worry."

Vriska insisted on pushing her question. “So if you’re not responsible for any of this, then what do you do?"

...

...

"I _CONJURE_ THIS INTREPID FANTASYSCAPE WITH TEARS BLED FROM THE WISDOM-WEARY EYES OF FIFTY THOUSAND IMAGINARY MAGICIANS. I PULL HEAVY-"

"Okay that's enough," Vriska said, kicking Hussie's chin, causing the ring to flip upwards, which she caught. "Thanks for the sweet loot.” She was clearly done with Hussie’s bullshit and realised that she wasn’t going to get a straight answer. He might not even have one.

Without hesitation, Vriska slipped the ring onto her finger, and felt the light returning to her eyes. Her sclera returned to its brilliant shade of yellow, eight-fold vision completely restored and she felt the manifestation of her physical body. Her fingers were no longer ethereal substitutes maintained by the dark gods; she can flex them, all matter and flesh. She almost forgot how much she missed this corporeal form - a shame she’d be losing it soon enough.

“HOT D4MN. TWO VR1SK4S RUNN1NG 4BOUT? TH4TS W4Y TOO MUCH TROUBLE FOR R34L1TY TO H4NDL3,” Terezi smirked.

“Oh I’ve met my other self,” Vriska groaned. “She’s an ass. I don’t even know why you went through all that trou8le to save her."

“1 DUNNO. 4LL TH4T 1 W4S TH1NK1NG 4BOUT, W4S S4V1NG YOU, DUMB4SS.” Terezi waltzed in, planting a light kiss on Vriska’s forehead. “LOOK1NG 4T YOU NOW, 1T W4S WORTH 1T."

Vriska beamed, wringing her hands. “Thank you, Terezi. 8ut now, I’m quite happy 8eing here.” They held their glances and their hands, Terezi feeling how solid Vriska was, the gap already widening between them. But Vriska wouldn’t allow them to drift apart. Not again. She squeezed Terezi’s hands before letting go. “I’ll 8e 8ack. Promise."

Terezi gave her a thumbs up. “YOU B3TT3R B3."

And then Vriska turned around, Hussie already recovering himself. Unfortunately, she needed someone to bring her back from the void.

“Hey Orange-“ she started.

“Yes, my bride?” Hussie smiled, arms outstretched. Vriska punched him in the face one more time.

“What was that for!” he cried out, hurting from all the abuse being dealt on him.

Vriska spat. “I don’t remem8er acceding to your offer. Now spill it. How am I gonna get outta here? You didn’t give me this ring only for me to be stuck here, right?"

Hussie crossed his arms, slumping to the floor like a petulant child throwing a tantrum. “Don’t wanna tell ya."

“Then why’d you make this in the first place!” Vriska shouted. “All these jujus are these random magical objects that appear out of nowhere, so it had to be there only because you wanted them to, right? So then why?"

"An excuse,” Hussie said. "Maybe I just wanted to revive my favourite character after I killed her off, and I needed a way to make that happen. Of course that led to a whole fuck ton of other problems."

The explanation caught Vriska’s attention. “What do you mean?” Then she narrowed her eyes in concentration. “Is that the nature of all jujus?"

“I guess,” Hussie said. “They’re devices meant to directly interact with the narrative of this universe."

"The narrative?” Vriska said. "What entity is that?"

"The device that connects everything that happens, a force beyond that of Paradox Space or even Reality itself. It is the ultimate, all-encompassing level which even I am subject to, although I was able to influence it for a period of time."

Vriska’s eyes widened. "You’re shitting me."

"Why would I?"

“8ecause you've been nothing but a creep."

"Fair enough."

Vriska waved off the diversion. "Okay whatever the fuck you're saying, 8asically these are rule 8r8kers that affect change at the level of the core of Reality?"

"Pretty much,” Hussie replied. “You might think of them as plot devices."

“Huh?"

"You know stories?"

“What kind of a stupid question is that?” Vriska growled.

Hussie ignored her irritation. “They’re like, things that happen in stories. Things that elicit change that drive the story forward. These are the physical manifestation of these tropes. Much like how your soul was just given a body, these jujus are ideas and mechanics given shape and form."

“Ela8orate,” Vriska breathed.

"An object that can turn the living into ghosts and ghosts into the living, depending on the wielder. An object that can supercharge a person and completely break the game, erasing all their problems. An object that exists almost as a literal hole in reality allowing them to exist outside it. An object that exists as a vessel of misfortune, carrying the ultimate evil and his curse wherever it appears. An object that can nullify all these,” Hussie listed out. “These are all just examples, and each item’s crafted to a specific purpose. No singular item can be that ground-breaking. Even they have rules,” Hussie eyed the ring. “The Rings of Life and Void are one, yes, but they cannot be both at once. You won’t be able to get out with just it alone."

"I’ve wasted too much time on this exposition,” Vriska sighed, even though she had requested for it. “You’re as insufferable as a Light player."

"Time is an illusion-"

"Cut the crap. Answer my first question,” Vriska threatened.

This time, Hussie relented, quite contented after his little spiel. "Follow the road, and it'll lead you to where you need to go. Someone ordinary can't see it, but you aren't ordinary, are you?"

Vriska knew what he meant: her vision eightfold.

Good, she thought, the yellowy-orange lane like an elaborate staircase leading to the top. It twisted and turned, the act of ascending not lost on Vriska. She smiled, taking her first step towards the relevance she had wanted for so long, but now only accepted out of necessity.

 

Off she went, trudging up the spiral path.

 

* * *

A wounded, beaten pair slinked into the void on a vortex, camping within the recesses of the Furthest Ring. Roxy and Dirk fought to catch their breath, breathing hard while the adrenaline still pumped through them. The aftermath of failure is always bitter, and the void beckoned to them, an escape from the messiness of reality.

"I know it's you, Roxy."

" _You,_ " Roxy growled, instinctual hostility rising at the recognition of that voice.

"I was trying to prevent this from happening. I foresaw this exact situation unfolding out," came the smug explanation.

"Rubbish. You were preventing our victory. You call this victory?"

"If you hadn't opposed me so vehemently I'd have let you all live."

Roxy had to fight to keep her voice level. "Don't mock me. We didn't do jack shit and you know it. You fucked us over!"

"I was only trying to help-"

"Then you should've dealt with the Condesce first."

"I did. I provoked her. Esta8lished myself as a threat. Eng8ged with her goonies. I was well on my way to defeating her."

"You still got offed by her like a sucka," Roxy taunted. "You were nothing but a nuisance, spider witch."

Aranea Serket lurked in the shadows, waiting, watching, observing. Her expression was hidden, but undoubtedly full of venom. She forced a wide smile, fangs and all as she stepped out to greet the two.

"May8e I am," she said. "So what? It was a mere miscalculation. Now she is dead, isn't she? We can still do it my w8y."

It was Dirk's time to talk. "The empress is not like your friend. You should have noticed that. It was your hubris that blinded you."

Aranea looked offended. "A mere teenager has nothing on me. What do you know of hubris, Dirk Strider?"

Dirk stared her down, almost insulted that she would ask this question. After all they’d gone through, and she tried to teach Dirk about pride?

" _Everything,_ " he said, the single word speaking volumes.

The Sylph of Light seemed pensive for a moment, before continuing. "Yes, I concede this particular point. I must have spent too much time with Meenah - that was my problem, my downfall. 8ut nevertheless, I am always here to help. And you, my Prince, do seem to be in gr8 need of help."

She didn't have to gesture towards the sword stuck in his gut. Dirk winced, the throbbing pain intensifying because of the reminder.

"Impaled on your own sword," Aranea said. "How's that for metaphorical irony? Even more so on the self proclaimed king of it all. 8ut as the crown rests on your head, I need not remind you that you won't live for long to enjoy it. Your death will surely be Heroic, opposing a force of evil like that."

"Bluh bluh, get to the point," Roxy said, rolling her eyes.

Aranea did her best to hold her smile, lips pursed. "Well yes, I do have a penchant for prattling on. Very well. I'd like to present a proposal."

"Why should we even bother?" Roxy shot back. "Your death was ruled Just, wasn't it? If your claim to moral ambiguity could ever be justified, the forces that govern it do not swing in your favour."

"8ecause," Aranea explained patiently, as though talking to a child. "You need me. My role is the Sylph of Light. I can heal the Prince 8ack up. I can alleviate the fatigue you've 8ottled up throughout all your skirmishes. I can even supercharge your powers so you return to the 8attle more equipped than ever to dispose of Lord and Lady. I can provide tactical foresight and assistance such that this will all go smoothly. Don't you see? I'm exactly what you need right now to 8ounce 8ack from this tragedy."

Dirk hid his impatience well. "Your terms."

"Getting to that," Aranea smiled, a sweet, condescending one. "All I ask is to be given another chance on the 8attleground. To have a stake in how reality unfolds. You clearly don't want to cooperate with me, that's fine. You h8 me? I can deal with that. I'll even 8e on your side whether you like it or not, 8ecause taking care of those two is also in my best interests. We have a common goal. After that, you're free to stop me again. You could even kill me! If you even could. It'8 be fair and square. 8ut it's 8een Game Over for me, and I want an extra life to keep playing."

"How would that even be possible?" Roxy said. "Jane's not here, and we don't have the ring like before."

"Oh my dear Roxy," Aranea said, causing her to flinch. "Have you forgotten what your a8ility implies? To steal from the void, can you not 8ring me 8ack?"

Roxy seemed appalled. "No way am I going to-!"

Dirk hushed her with his hand. "I'm listening."

"Dirk!" Roxy shouted. "You can't seriously be-"

"Let her finish," Dirk said, his expression inscrutable behind those opaque shades.

Aranea grinned, a genuine one for once. "I knew you could be reasoned with, Strider," she said. "It's really simple, actually. Roxy can retrieve anything from nothing. 8ut even with her newfound affinity for her a8ilities, she might not quite be able to bring things back to life. No, that would be too game 8r8king an ability for Reality to allow. But I am a game 8r8ker. I can give her the ability to do that. She could even revive all your dead comrades this way."

"No," Roxy said, firm. "No, no, no. There has to be another way."

"With all due respect, Rox," Dirk said. "You're not the one dying here."

Roxy wringed her hands nervously, almost 8r8king into a flail. "You don't know her I like do! She's insanely powerful and she'll eat the whole timeline up again! She was the problem before John rebooted things and you want to bring her back?!"

"I'm considering our options," Dirk said, monotone. "We're in no shape to continue on like this. Unless you'd like to take them both on alone?"

That left Roxy speechless, before she groaned out in frustration. "Can't I heal you myself? My powers are primarily for benefitting others, right? Like, like, just SHAZAM-ing a perfectly healthy body from the void for you. Or banishing the wound. Or something doable! As for the power up, we can find the lollipop again, or something. Janey dropped it into the void, I'm sure we can find it-"

"Too much uncertainty and time, unless you can tell me you've managed to get the hang of how time flows here-"

"That's Rose's and Dave's domain, not mine!"

"Then we still have a problem."

"We can TRY! We-"

"There is a solution, neatly wrapped in front of us. Why-"

"Because we can't deal with her!" Roxy shouted, exasperated. "She's too dangerous, Dirk! We can't trust her!"

Dirk saw the urgency, the sheer desperation that plagued Roxy. He could tell how much she detested the Serket in front of them, what doom she could spell for them at this critical juncture. He believed every word Roxy said.

"Okay," Dirk said, relaxing his facial features, making sure his back was turned to Aranea. "But you trust me, right?"

"Dirk-"

"You are slowly whittling away, Prince. Tick tock, time is dead kids."

Dirk's head snapped. "Don't plagiarize a line-"

"So yes or no? Before I rescind my offer-"

"That's a bluff and you know it. I-"

"This is the last time before I start counting down," Aranea said. "I've laid down my terms, clear as Skaia. I'll deal with you, Prince. Your call?"

Dirk tried moving, but the pain hindered him. "Let me think about-"

"8, 7,"

"Hold on-"

"6, 5,"

"She kissed Jake! She changed him-"

"4,"

"That's not-"

"3, 2,"

"Dirk!"

"1. Time's-"

"I'll do it."

" _DIRK!_ "

"Pardon?" Aranea said, putting on a big show of cupping her ears.

"We have a deal," Dirk said. "Now hurry up and get this thing out of me."

Roxy started shouting, pulling Dirk's hand but he was rigid, unwavering.

"How about her?" Aranea pointed to Roxy. "She doesn't seem too keen."

"You never had Jake's consent, did you? He'd never agree to it. Why would you need permission again?"

"Oh, Strider," Aranea said, rubbing her hands with glee. "I think I really like you."

"Sorry," Dirk said, entirely deadpan. "I'm gay."

Aranea cackled as Dirk pulled out the sword, clattering to the floor. With nothing to hold the flesh together, his blood started to flow. Roxy backed off in horror while Aranea seized Dirk by the head, Light's incandescent orange and Heart's resilient magenta blending with each other. Dirk's aura expanded, the wound sealing itself.

Dirk stared at Aranea right through his fringe, as if daring her to push further. She read him well, pouring her heart and soul into his empowerment, rearranging connections to their most optimal form, and oblitering those of little use. She could hear his voice in his head, through their temporarily shared connection.

_Whatever you want to do to me, do it. I can take it. This might be your last work yet, so make it count._

She gave into temptation, his strong will irresistable. This would m8ke or 8r8k him, a gam8le to sculpt the finest warrior Paradox Space had ever witnessed.

Effervescence crumbled as the throbbing subsided, the hollow vacuum of sound reclaiming itself as Dirk stood, poised and chiseled like a Renaissance statue.

"How do you feel?” Aranea asked, aroused and thrilled at her masterpiece.

"Clear headed. Light," he said, and she wasn't sure if the pun was intentional or not. He rubbed his hands, feeling the sparks flowing through them. Dirk felt strong, no doubt.

"I gave you my 8est. You gave me your word," Aranea warned.

Dirk cracked his neck, then his digits. "Of course," he said, starting towards Roxy.

"Dirk, no," Roxy pleaded, uncomprehending and confused and struggling over whether to abandon Dirk at first sign of real danger. "You wouldn't. You-"

"I'm sorry."

Purple rain hailed on Aranea as Dirk snapped his fingers. He didn't even need to turn around as the energy worked its magic, searing into Aranea and causing her to scream. Roxy both stifled a scream and sighed with relief, resulting in a single awkward hiccup. She was a little giddy, and didn't know whether to feel happy that Dirk didn't turn on her, or embarrassed that she doubted him in the first place.

"I'm a destroyer of souls," Dirk said, cold. "I've heard that Lord English can permanently kill you guys off. I wonder if I have the same ability now?"

"Fuck you, Strider!" Aranea hissed, healing her wounds as she backed away. "You gave me your word! You promised!"

"And Hitler promised not to invade Czechoslovakia,” Dirk said, arms stretched. "Welcome to the real world."

Aranea started grasping for straws, despite the completely obtuse reference. "Your honour-"

"My pride is nothing compared to my friends," Dirk said. "Fucking cheesy I know, but it's true. I'd never forsake anything for them, but I'm no fool either. End of the line, Serket."

Aranea was spewing venom. "You played me! You-"

"Emotions got the better of you again huh? Tough luck."

"You need me!" Aranea shouted.

"Continue spinning your web of lies. We'd just have to deal with you afterwards, and that's a pain."

"I'll 8e 8ack. You'll see," Aranea threatened. "I won't forget this, and I'll come for you. I'll GET YOU-"

"I think you'll 8e needing this."

Out of the shadows, Vriska Serket marched in, braids trailing behind her. She flashed her dancestor a smile, and then her ring, before dismissing her completely. "Found you," she told the pair. "I've been searching for you two."

"The ring!" Aranea shouted. “MY RING!"

She jumped immediately, but Dirk was still too fast. Another bolt prevented Aranea from advancing. She fumed, forced to retreat further, and further away.

"Woah! Is that you, spider chick?" Roxy asked.

Aranea growled, recognizing this Vriska. "You're her."

"Not the one you know," Vriska told Roxy. "But I'm Vriska Serket through and through."

"I suppose we could trust you?" Dirk had noticed the ring immediately, as well as Vriska's yellow sclera. It all snapped into place for him, although it wouldn't hurt to confirm.

"Relax, tight pants. I don't intend on staying alive for very long. Just gonna do what I have to, then y'all can have the ring." She looked back at Aranea. "I have people to return to here."

"Serket! YOU TR8OR! You l8ft me 88hind!"

"Sorry, Aranea," Vriska shrugged. "But there's only room for one Serket up there."

Aranea shrieked, screaming her lungs out and on her knees. "NO! YOU REMEM8ER ME DONT YOU! **_T8KE M8!_** "

"I do," Vriska replied, solemn. "You've already had your chance. You 8lew it."

"Come on," Dirk nudged them. "We better get back fast. We've dawdled off enough time as it is."

Roxy didn't even take a last look at Aranea. She began walking off, ready to bring them all back to the session.

"Sorry to break your heart," Dirk said as they joined hands.

And then they were gone. Back into the fray.

Leaving Aranea behind. Crumpled and thirsting for the chance to be significant again. But it was all gone. She could only stay and wait.

8roken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spider girls chapter!
> 
> This was honestly one of the most fun chapters to write (besides the Third Scratch one), giving resolution to some relatively important minor characters which I felt canon didn't really address? 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the limited number of puns. Unfortunately, I'm not very good with humour.  
> Comments always appreciated and thanks for reading!


	9. Rising Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **This chapter contains flashing images. Consider this a trigger warning for epilepsy.**
> 
> The end is neigh.

"Where is everybody?" John said, voice low.

Rose looked visibly distressed. "Kanaya?" she called out. "Roxy?" she said, hopeful.

A dim red glow purred, their House leading to the new universe untouched. The red pulsated, the sheer wholeness of it disquieting. It floated, no lilypad holding it, inviting in appearance. It was as though someone wanted this to very much succeed.

That was the first danger flag.

Sollux mumbled something, shivering and eyes darting about. Some words popped out to Jade's astute ears, most notably the mention of his aspect. They stuck back to back with each other, guards up and looking for the first sign of trouble.

"Jade," Rose said slowly, as though afraid to disturb something. "Captchalogue the house. Now."

Without hesitation, Jade complied, the object entering her sylladex.

The sky above them erupted into flame.

Lord and Lady appeared, arm in arm, a myriad of piercing colour from above. Jane was now dressed in a robe that matched English’s, the dark green to his neon, a full black skin-tight suit beneath it. She reeked of the stench of ruin, everything around her disintegrating, even beyond the reach of her aura.

Jake was near complete in transformation, the Cairo Overcoat and golden sceptre mysteriously transported into hand despite the absence of First Guardian powers. Perhaps they had always been a part of English himself, for him to wield and command. No more Hero of Hope robes - instead they were replaced with mere suspenders, and the body below was tearing apart due to the sheer amount of muscle mass being forced on him. Lord English’s head sprouted out from the neck, his green slowly but surely rippling throughout the body. He snarled, and opened up wide.

The first volley of death came in the form of a wave of blasts.

“No!"

Jade redirected the attack’s trajectory, sending it back towards them. Rose parried with her own discharge of light, as John zipped forth, closing in the distance. More attacks from the heroes’ followed to cover John, and he whisked himself in a gust of air to appear behind the duo.

John teleported both Jake and Jane away - somewhere out beyond the Furthest Ring. But they'd be back, and they would come fast.

"I'd estimate we have five minutes tops to figure out what the fuck is going on," Rose said.

"We can help."

Out of the shadows, emerged Roxy, Dirk and Vriska. 

There was no heartfelt embrace for this reunion. Not even for Vriska, who John immediately recognised as the old one. Both parties sized each other up, acknowledged themselves before closing ranks, looking in every direction for the return of their enemies.

"The lowdown," Roxy explained in bulletpoint. "Batterwitch got everyone left behind. Jane flipped, killed her. Became cursed. Lord English somehow possessed Jake. We retreated, and are back now with reinforcements."

"That must've happened the moment his body got destroyed along with the Green Sun," Jade said. "I died out of unsustainable shock as well, but came back as it was ruled neither Heroic nor Just."

"We have to get them both back before we proceed," Dirk said. "That's non-negotiable. I sure am glad your Prospitian friend hasn't lit the forge, because I'm pretty sure the new universe would be destroyed by now."

"Then," John said. "The others are all... dead?"

Roxy's head hung. "It seems so. Although we didn't manage to see Kanaya's body, but I don't know whether it's because she managed to escape or that the witch got her completely. Again." Her fists trembled in anger. Why hadn't they been able to arrive earlier to stop her?

Rose wiped away tears she failed to fight back. "We have to trust they're okay."

“Any idea what might’ve happened to Jane?”

“Something beyond grimdarkness,” Rose supplied. “Going completely off the deep end on your own volition when you are God Tier is not something to take lightly. She must’ve completely inverted, and that’s dangerous. Now she’s a loose cannon at her master’s bidding to destroy everything. And she has command over the power of death instead of life now."

“Nasty,” Sollux added. “D00m players are a disaster f0r all inv0lved."

Vriska begun the talk on strategy. “We split into two groups and handle them this way. Keep them apart. If we’re dealing with souls, then Strider’s up against English. The rest of you can split yourselves evenly but I’m going against the Queen. My mind control’s bound to be more useful there."

“She can sleep-fight you know,” Roxy added, and Vriska groaned.

A fenestrated window blinked into existence, as others stepped through the portal.

"What's up, guys," Dave said as he arrived with Jasprose, Davepeta following behind soon after. The rest didn’t even have time to be surprised by how promptly he returned. 

"Everyone’s dead,” Jade said, the phrase already a recurring gag.

"What’s new lol," Dave said, a little too fast, a whirl of emotions behind his poker face. He steadied his sword.

"Deal with English," Rose instructed. "We’ll handle the rest."

At their request, John brought Davepeta back to the scratched session, their work over there unfinished. Jasprose gave the general vicinity a quick once over before teleporting away via fenestrated window. Predicting that the upcoming battle would bring nothing but devastation to all around them, Jade sought help in captchalouging every last planet along with the Battlefield for safe keeping.

The rest exchanged last minute tips and tricks, any potent combinations that might work and ideas that could turn the tide in their favour. It wouldn’t last, as Jade looked up, sensing them.

“They’re coming."

"No. They’re here."

They were back, and with a vengeance. Surrounding Lord Jake English, were fourteen leprechauns suspended in space. They seemed frisky and jittery, all ready to rumble. Rose and Vriska moaned their displeasure - the manpower they required to expend on these goons, they did not have.

“We’re not leaving without either of them,” Dirk shouted above the ruckus, eyeing Jane and Jake.

“Any of them!" Roxy corrected. “The trolls-"

“We know!” John hollered, already moving to teleport Jane and the combatants facing her away.

Caledfwlch zinged across the battlefield, Dave charging recklessly as he sliced off Lord Jake’s right arm. Lord Jake didn’t even flinch, his clawed left hand going in for the kill but Dave was stolen into the void, Roxy shaking him hard.

“Don’t do that again!”

Roxy was panic-stricken, and so was Dave. She wasn’t about to let Dave die so easily, so soon.

“At least we know I can harm him,” Dave argued, attempting to justify his recklessness.

“We need Jake alive, okay?"

“Alright,” Dave trembled. “Sorry, I got too tense. This guy, he’s beyond anything we’ve ever faced. And I-"

“It’s alright, love,” Roxy placed a sympathetic hand on Dave’s cheek. “Deep breaths, now."

“Hey,” Dave smiled, reaching to Roxy’s mask, taking it off. “Wouldn’t want that to mess things up for you."

Roxy grinned. “You’re sweet, Dave. I’m already jealous of Karkat."

“Proud of what a gentlemanly, upright man your son has become?” Dave teased, body still involuntarily shivering from the panic.

Roxy ruffled his hair, before holding him by the shoulders. “We’ll get through this. We’re all going home, okay?"

Dave nodded, as they took each other’s hands.

And then they were back into the fray, the clashes thundering throughout Paradox Space, the echoes of war rippling from the epicentre.

* * *

“So er. What do we do now?"

Tavros toyed with his lance, kicking up some dirt as the ghost army slowly dissolved, with nothing else to do. Vriska was boiling, fuming, blasting piles of desert sand with her stolen power. 

“Fuck, fuck, _FUCK!_ ” She shook her fist at the black hole, before proceeding to expel a cascading torrent of rage. “Why the FUCK would you give me this half-assed power and then expect me to do literally NOTHING with it? I didn’t fucking come 8ack to life and sit through three years on a meteor with those goons keeping everyone’s shit together, then fucking my ghost and pulling all the strings to 8ring me to this point and then steal the motherfucking GREEN SUN’S POWER and proceed to o8viously 8LOW IT THE FUCK UP, and ASCEND to this nigh omnipotent stage, only for me to do. A8solutely. NOTHING!!!"

She took another breath, and drew upon the Green Sun, throwing all her indignation and rage forward and letting the sun leak into her curses. Her screams would be written into the fabric of Paradox Space itself.

 

 

**"FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!"**

** **

 

 

Tavros winced. "Who’s she shouting at?"

"Cod knows who she rayging at,” Meenah exhaled, exasperated.

Vriska let out another blast of Green Sun powered energy, only for it to disappear as it wormed its way towards the black hole, the light dissipating into the darkness. All around her, the army descended into a nervous frenzy. They were all noticing the consequences of the end. Reality was flaking away in drips and drabs, shards of space itself dislodging itself as the black hole pulled it in. Pulled everything in. The dream bubble was being torn apart as well, the gaps appearing in the sky and the fissures rupturing throughout the desert. Most of the wiser ones were ready to jump ship, although the end would still be the same.

A hand pat Vriska on the shoulder just as she was about to pulverise some ghosts for the heck of it.

"WHO THE FUCK-"

Aradia Megido hovered behind her, as Vriska spun around to meet her and her disconcerting smile.

“The fuck you want now?” Vriska snapped.

"You know, even as you are now, Vriska, you don't scare me one bit,” Aradia noted.

"Come on, Megido,” Vriska seethed. “I could liquefy a universe if I wanted to. I’d 8last English to Shangri-la and back."

"They're too far away for you to do anything,” Aradia stated, calm as ever. “They should be fighting English now, as we speak."

“WHAT?” Vriska bellowed, her words holding the weight of the Green Sun behind them. “AND THEY FUCKING **FORGOT** ABOUT ME?"

“You were too busy throwing a fit and being complacent,” Aradia shrugged. "All channels have been cut off. Just saying. You’re not going anywhere.” That didn’t stop Vriska try her luck with a fenestrated window. Within seconds she was back, and now screaming to boot.

“It’s not fucking fair! May8e I don’t need to steal all the glory, 8ut now I can’t even participate? Fuck!"

Aradia decided to probe further. “Why do you even need to fight? You already did your part."

“8ecause I’ve been waiting for this my whole life, may8e? 8ack when I thought Jack was the 8ig 8ad, I got 8locked 8y having the light 8eat out of me, or Terezi would’ve stupidly sta88ed me. I can’t take down that scourge, _fine_. 8ut now I was face to face with English, and he just drops on me? I turn my 8ack on the 8ody and suddenly he’s on the other side of Paradox Space fucking shit up? Like **WHAT?!?!** "

"You wanna be a heroine, right?” Aradia asked. “That’s the reason why you’re doing all this, isn’t it? To do something important. To be a heroine."

Vriska rolled her eyes. “You’re oddly forward, 8ut yes, Megido. If it hasn’t become o8vious already."

“I prefer the other Serket,” Aradia muttered. "Then save others. That's what heroes do."

“S8ve?” Vriska asked, as though she’d never really thought of the word.

“Yes,” Aradia said. “You can still help out by saving others."

"Who the fuck do I have left to s8ve, huh?"

Then despite the fact that Vriska was on the level of a First Guardian, Aradia tackled her, pinning her to the desert floor while holding her collar, the clockwork majykks keeping her in place. Aradia hardly lost her cool, but this was too much.

"You don't know this, but Terezi thought you important enough, even with her dying breaths, that you were worth it. That you alone, was worth salvation. She made John rewrite the entire timeline just to redeem you. And that Terezi isn't even here anymore. You haven't even met her. She sacrificed everything to save a single person she will never see and hope that you’d have a better ending. For you to be here right now."

"S8ve me your self righteous 8la88er and get to the point," Vriska snarled.

Aradia resisted the urge to shake her head. "How about you? Isn't there anyone in this crowd you care about, Serket? Even just a smidgen?"

Vriska’s green eyes widened, the ramifications dawning on her. She noticed the world falling apart around her, and who was it that set the break into motion?

Even if it was for a moment, she felt a tinge of camaraderie towards Meenah. She’d been a fierce, brave warrior who revelled the battle, fought with all her zeal and skill. There was Tavros - who actually managed to rough up the big bad even more than her! There was a sense of pride watching him from a distance, another of her proteges all grown up, an inkling of their potential realised.

And Aradia too. How she’d wronged her in the past, and even though this version of Vriska never really got to interact with her, she could tell that their ties ran deep, the interactions between the two transcending their selves and Paradox Space itself.

Terezi was out there. The version that saved her. So was her loser ghost, but she wasn’t very important right now.

Somewhere in the ghost army, deceased friends and family strewn everywhere. Casualties were high, and the permanence of death lingered, but they still pressed on. They battled against English and served their purpose and they won. This army of disposable but valiant ghosts managed to hold their ground by sheer numbers and they did it. Perhaps they did deserve to live on, even in death?

The Green Sun was bubbling within her now. Vriska could feel the churning of its power, the massive burden it placed on her, and more importantly, how she wouldn’t be able to contain it for long. It had always meant to be expendable, a near limitless well of energy to call upon. But now, with nothing to direct it against, how long could her body be its vessel?

“Ow,” Vriska grumbled, the simmering now heating up just short of burning. She could still do something. Just not what she’d have normally done. The stage was for her. The spotlights all trained on her, cast in the leading role, giving the performance of her life. The audience would cheer and jeer and more importantly, bear witness. They’d see her, all their eyes trained on her, and they’d remember how spectacular it was. It’d be etched in their minds and her movements dancing their way into her hearts, and they’d talk about it. Write about it. It didn’t really matter what they discussed about it as long as it was there.

But the show couldn’t go on without the backstage support. The crew who shambled about in the darkness - no, they were lightning quick, making decisions at the snap of a finger, and reacting to new situations which each tick of the clock. They were there, pulling everything together, making sure that all the factions worked as one, that they were taken care of, that the whole thing could be a running success. No fame and glory there, only the knowledge that you got the job done, and did a damn well good job. Was that enough for Vriska Serket?

That was something her loser ghost would do.

But beggars can’t be choosers.

With the Green Sun’s will as her own, she knew what had to be done.

“Alright, you fucking losers. Listen up!"

Vriska marched out to stage centre, addressing the crowd in what would be her last blaze of glory. Oratory had always come easy to her - the perks of being oh so charismatic. She lifted herself off the ground, rising to cover the black hole with her silhouetted body.

“You all fought well. That deserves a round of applause - not now, Tavros! So, there’s really nothing left for you all to do, but that still doesn’t change the fact that the world’s ending. My 8ad on that, I guess. 8ut, don’t you worry! You’ll get your recompense! Soldiers like you deserve a good ending, a Valhalla fit for royals! May8e one day you’ll reach there, 8ut for you, you’ll just have to settle with not dying again. That good? I hear ya, 8uddy. So gather round, and I’ll make sure that you all hopefully stay dead enough to continue 8eing dead after we’ve cleaned up this whole mess."

Irradiated streaks burrowed out from Vriska, emerald streamers that anchored themselves onto everything below. Then everything began to quake, and it wasn’t because of the black hole.

"Water you doing, Serket?” Meenah shouted.

"I’m teleporting the entire 8u88le away as far as I can! You could say I’m stealing it for my own selfishness, away from impending doom!"

“What?” Tavros asked, quite confused.

“Celestial objects pro8a8ly follow different rules, but I 8r8k them! I can use my First Guardian powers and 8ring you all to safety. How’s that, you ungrateful assholes!"

“Safe?” Meenah echoed, and Vriska wanted to scream.

It was easy to be condescending from up there. "I’m the luckiest, remember? I’m sure you’ll all end up in the 8est possible place to 8e in, given that Paradox Space is ending."

"Where would that be?” Meenah pushed, highly skeptical about the whole thing.

"Only one way to find out."

The bubble shuddered as though about to go through a violent upheaval, the sky a sea of malachite and jade undulating into each other, flaring up and ready to swamp everything at a moment’s notice. Vriska felt the strain on her body, as she expelled every last drop of energy, channelled it through the blood leaking out of her eyes, her mouth, some of her veins bursting and popping beneath her skin. It was an incredible amount of power she was forcing out all at once, the ultimate attack that could’ve been.

"Sea ya, Meenah,” she croaked, barely audible. "You too, Tavros. You did good out there."

 Locking eyes with Aradia one last time, she bowed out. "Arrivederci, Megido."

 And then, they were all gone, transported away, leaving Vriska to float upwards in the void, completely tired out and spent, only left with her orange Thief garbs. She heaved and coughed, grunting as gravity claimed her, and she accelerated towards the black hole.

 " _Fuck_. I overdid it,” she said, still spitting out blood. "And I forgot about myself. I even forgot about myself! _Ha!_ "

She had neither the power nor energy to fight any longer, much less resist the black hole’s pull. Here she was at the end, alone, with nobody by her side. With nothing but the knowledge that she had possibly delayed the permanent demise of a couple thousand ghosts, maybe a few friends. No glory or even a blaze to go out in. She’d float, and float, and drift into eternity. Forgotten forever.

Eyes closed, she let herself go, her aura almost snuffed out. Drifting above.

A lone, blinking insect. Rising towards the center of destruction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually no horse puns. I'm not the Huss you know.
> 
> This chapter was named after The Wicked + The Divine’s current arc, due to the first half being a setup to the final battle, and the second half showcasing… Vriska’s rising action into the black hole? Eh? Okay I shouldn’t explain a pun heh.


	10. Final Boss x2 Combo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter should be read on desktop instead of mobile, as the formatting (or lack thereof) makes it almost impossible to read on mobile. Also, this chapter contains flashing images and bright colours. Consider this a trigger warning for epilepsy.
> 
> \---  
> Welcome to the showdown of a lifetime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a monster of a chapter that I had a lot of fun writing. Hope you enjoyed it as well! Even though it can be quite confusing haha. Playing around with the medium was hard work but I think it was worth it!
> 
> One thing about BKEW’s theories is that they don’t really show the resolution to stuff. Yeah sure, Crocker and English are the final bosses, so..? More of my own plot related stuff is gonna start coming in, and I hope I don’t disappoint.
> 
> Thanks for reading! And comments are always appreciated (:


	11. Death and Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey young blood, doesn't it feel, like our time is running out?  
> I'm gonna change you, like a remix.  
> Then I'll raise you, like a phoenix.

The Peregrine Mendicant couldn't hold her transformation for long. With one of the ring's orbs becoming invalid, using it had become highly unstable.

Nevertheless, with Jack by the cuff and wings unfurled, she steered her lilypad towards the clash between English and our heroes.

Dave spun around on instinct as they clashed swords. His face softened after realizing who it was, but he kept his distance after breaking off. Somewhere deep in the recesses of his subconscious, he recognized this woman as someone who had killed him once.

"Hey, what's up?" one of Dirk's splinters floated over, while two more and Roxy were keeping their foes occupied.

PM growled. "I thought something like this would happen. Enemies still at bay?"

Jack nearly managed an "I told you so" but PM flicked his lips shut.

"The big bads, actually," Dave supplied. "We're doing well for now but we don't actually have a permanent solution."

"What do you need?" PM asked, getting down to business. 

"On our side's English," Dirk said. "We can't actually kill him. But what's worked before is trapping his soul - which we need to pull out of my friend to free him anyway - and we don't exactly have a suitable vessel..."

PM raised her eyebrows in amusement, the solution already apparent before her eyes.

* * *

"Mituna," Sollux whispered.

His dancestor's name tiptoed out of his lips, hands quivering as Rose squinted, a chunk of yellow arriving from a distance. The golden hue was unmistakeable. Only one planet could exhibit such grandeur and inspire such wonder even in the darkest times.

“Prospit’s Moon,” Rose affirmed. “Not any of ours. They’re from the A1 session."

Jade took off, the implications of this not lost on her. This was their path to salvation. She put brakes on the moon, decelerating it until it drifted slowly at an agreeable distance from them.

Jane wouldn’t have any of it, but John and Sollux dealt with her, drawing her attention with tricks up their sleeves, throwing more elemental and psychic surprises - anything that would occupy her.  

"Swap!" Jade hollered to John, and Jade continued pounding Jane, walloping her with debris and rounds of kinetic energy. She enlarged the meteors to increase their effectiveness and-

An idea that seemed so obvious in retrospect came to her mind.

"Sollux! Cover me!"

 As Sollux dived into Jane's line of sight, Jade leapt back, framing Jane with her hands. Then she closed the rectangle, shrinking her down until she was nothing but a luminous speck, flailing in the darkness.

“W0w," Sollux breathed, annoyed and astounded at their collective incompetence and lack of imagination. "Why didn't we think 0f that earlier."

Jade shrugged. "I don't think it would've worked with English. He is way too powerful and massive for me to pull a stunt like that. Jane though..."

All of Jane’s abilities were still intact, from the deadly aura to instant regeneration. But it was all contained and minimised, and she could do no more than sting or infest a wound. After Jade sealed her in five layers of porous rock, she was as good as harmless.

“This should be able to keep her for now. But given that she was able to brute force her way out of Roxy’s pocket dimension, we should be wary and on the lookout."

Sollux nodded and they took turns watching Jane, ensuring she hadn’t escaped. Accidentally killing her was okay, but they didn’t want to take the chance, in case English revoked her immortality. Actually, that would solve their problems on this front, but you could never be too careful about the consequences of accidental murder.

Meanwhile, Rose and John were busy at work. Terezi’s skill set would’ve been more optimal but given the circumstances, Rose’s worked fine as well. Rose extended her seer’s gaze to cover the B2 Incipisphere, straining her vision omni-fold to pinpoint the bodies of the fallen. It was a gruesome sight, but John always somehow turned out okay despite all the fucked up things happening around him. It was no time to relax anyway, so his concentration didn’t wane, and he set about memorizing the coordinates Rose had given him. 

“I better check on the other side,” Rose told him. “It looks like Jade has things kind of wrapped up over here for now, but I don’t think the others are faring any better."

“I’ll boost ya,” John offered, and Rose gave him a weary but grateful smile.

“Look out for Kanaya, alright? I… I can’t seem to get her for now, but I don’t think she got vaporised…” Rose trailed off.

John assured her, giving her a pat on the back. “I will."

After Rose warped away, John teleported to the floating corpse of Karkat, badly ravaged by debris and the violent fight that preceded this. Captchalouging his body, he proceeded to the next one. And then the other.

Never resting until all his friends were safe and sound, even in death.

* * *

All his senses were muddled up, nausea swimming before his eyes. Jake English felt sick, disembodied, and powerless. He no longer had control over his physical being, the Lord of Time having shoved him into an obscure corner of his subconscious.

Bereft of his identity, he floated about, stuck in a hopeless situation.

_Jake!_

Was that his name? He couldn't really tell. Did the name Jake English still apply to him? What was his name anyway? 

But the emotions came anyway. A glimmer of recognition twinkled in his eyes, and the idea had taken root, the seeds planted.

He felt a very real, firm grip on his hand.

"Um-"

"Jake!"

He was yanked downwards, no longer in free fall, moving in a very specific direction.

The direction of pain.

He landed with a thud onto a solid floor, a blank space of comforting black surrounding him. Jake got up to his knees, and looking at the familiar figure in front of him, he found-

"Jane! Oh thank heavens, are you alright? How did you- ...oh wait," Jake frowned. You aren't real, are you? I made you up, with my mind."

"The two don't have to be mutually exclusive, silly." Jane helped Jake to stand. "I may be a construct of your brain, but I am very much real!"

Jake decided he wasn't ready to deal with alternate brain ghosts just yet. "Where the dickens am I?"

"Within yourself, Jake," came another voice. "The others are still fighting, you know."

Spinning around, his face lit up. "Jade!"

"Hey you," Jade beamed, before locking her arm around Jake's neck and giving him a noogie. Jake squirmed out of her strong embrace, and dusted his clothes as he looked at the two ladies.

“I didn’t think I’d see you both here! How…"

His voice trailed off, the disappointment setting in. Both girls flickered for a brief moment, before Jane placed her hand on Jake’s.

“They’re holding up,” Jane said. “But they need your help."

Jake gave a pained expression. “Mine?” he wailed. “But… I’m useless. I was the one who got them into this mess. I couldn’t even keep my own body…"

Jade gave Jake a single, tight slap.

“Ow! What was that for? You’re being awfully rough, Jade…"

“Because I need to whack some sense into you!” Jade scolded, arms crossed. “Lord English may have taken over your body. So what? He may bear your name. Big deal. He has access to your abilities and powers and is using that to terrorise our friends. Okay, that sucks, but that’s something you have to do something about!"

"He only did it in the first place because he was jealous of your abilities,” Jane pointed out. "You trumped him! And he made it a point to claim everything that was yours as his."

Jade’s face softened, as she placed a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Point is, you’re every bit as strong as he is, or even more! You have to fight him, Jake! Get him out of your body!"

“How would I even go about doing that?” Jake sighed. "Lord English is the embodiment of domination! And I can't even stand up to Vriska-"

"Oh hell, stop comparing yourself to that pompous prick!" Jade growled, riling herself up. "You wanna compare fighting ability? I could probably beat Vriska in a straight up fight, even without my Green Sun powers. Heck, Jane here definitely could herself. She straight up beat the Condesce when Aranea couldn’t. And Aranea’s much stronger than Vriska, definitely."

"Shucks," Jane blushed. "You flatter me."

"That wasn’t really good for you though," Jade nagged. "You went off the deep end. You went off deeeep."

Jane scrunched up her face, before turning back to address Jake. “Anyway, you bring up a good point. Vriska might not be very strong, but she seems like it. Do you know what makes Vriska so unstoppable? Or even Caliborn for that matter?"

There was a muted silence, as Jake stood clueless.

"Erm..."

"Because they believe, nuthead! They believed they could do anything they set their minds to." Jade's gestures became increasingly animated. "To them, there was never any doubt to begin with that things would’ve turned out differently, even when all evidence pointed to the contrary!"

"However, that's not always good," Jane said. "You cross a line when you suppress the will of others in other to enact your own."

"Sometimes that may be necessary, but that's on a case by case basis. Look, you don't need us to lecture you on this. You already know it - it's all in your head! You just need to act on it, Jake!"

Jake still stared at them, clueless. Not that he didn’t get the message, but with no idea how to do anything about his situation, the future seemed grim and bleak, and...

Jade saw the worried, exhausted look and Jake’s face and sighed, understanding the feeling herself. "Look, champ. We can’t always pep talk for you all the time.” She scratched the back of her head, attempting to place the correct words in the correct order. "And I get it. Believing is tough. Like, it seems so simple, but not many people can walk the talk, eh?"

“Even on things that should be so obvious,” Jane added. “There are times I just can’t believe all this, you know? The whole end-of-the-world adventure, the fact that my bakery empire is really ruled by a tyrannical alien sea-queen, the fact that we are gods straight out of a fantasy epic with all these powers and responsibilities! Even though it’s right in front of me, I still have trouble coming to terms with it.” She shuffled her feet a little, seeming to blush in reminiscence. “In retrospect, I think it was because I wasn’t ready, and that I wasn’t ready to let myself be ready… get it? And that’s fine! But right now, everyone really needs you. We don’t have all the time in the world."

Deep breaths, Jake thought. He bunched his fists up, tensing up his whole body, forcing whatever he could to come into being. He willed his floating mind to just be still, numb it all up as though bracing for a straight punch, almost growling as he sought to channel the power of belief for himself.

But to no avail. There was simply no middle ground between relaxing to focus himself and the full forced exertion that came with determination. Jake looked constipated, in a half-squat pose miming anime characters attempting to power up. Except that he had no glowing white aura accompanying him… just flat out nothing. He might as well have been trying to take a shit, and failing miserably.

Jane tapped him lightly on the arm, and he crumpled, morale ready to sink into an all time low. He couldn’t do it. Even when it mattered the most, he-

"I think I have a neat little trick,” Jade piped up, encouraging. "Just forcing it doesn’t really help, eh? Sometimes brute force isn’t always the answer."

“Come on, English,” Jane said. “Get up."

Jake continued to sit in his puddle of self-doubt, and Jade gestured for Jane to join her by her side. She took Jane's hand before continuing, ready to nudge Jake out of his misery. "Look at your friends. Aren't they awesome?"

He looked up. "Y…yeah? Of course!"

"Dirk's always on point. Always seems to have his shit together. Makes it look effortless while fixing everyone's problems and pulls it off in style as well!"

Jake nodded without thinking, as Jade rattled on. "Then there's Roxy. Spunky babe, the heart of your group. Making sure that you're all okay, and doing her damned best all the time, keeping things together! She’s a real darling, isn’t she?" 

Their voices seemed to blend into one for Jake. Jade would’ve never gotten the context of their dynamics yet Jane wasn’t one for such speeches. 

"I've already talked about how badass Jane can be. The gutsiest gumshoe there ever was! And well, I might not be the strongest doggy girl in all of Paradox Space anymore. Then there's John, Rose, Dave... even the trolls! That's a heck lot of awesome friends you've got!"

“That’s true,” Jake agreed, his heart simultaneously lifting up yet crumbling at the edges. The thought of his friends seemed to fill him, yet knowing that they were all struggling so hard...

Jane clapped her hands together, dragging Jake out of whatever spiral he was going to head towards. “Focus now! The point is, you trust them, don't you?"

“Boy, do I,” Jake managed a sad grin. “With my life."

Jade nodded, her smile matching Jake’s. "And they trust you too!” She spread her arms to make her point. "They believe in you too you know. These absolutely cool, kickass peeps think that you're rocking it somehow, so why don’t you take their word for it?"

“If you can’t get yourself to push yourself, just know that they’re all there for you, cheering you on!” Jane said. “They can’t all be mistaken, right?"

Just like that, Jake felt that spark of hope in his chest, a flutter of white that was now alive and kicking. An idea that would not, could not die, lending himself the perspective, the paradigm shift he needed.

He could always rely on them.

"Believe in your friends who believe in you,” Jane laughed, and the look on her face made Jake believe he could move mountains.

"Until you see what you can do,” Jade grinned. "Then you can believe in the you that believes in you."

Jade held his hands now, and the area brightened up, the hope swelling in his chest reflected in the illuminating space. The stars that quivered above looked like the ones he used to see with his grandma, the memories of gazing at the heavens above as he bounced on her shoulders coming back to him. The landscape matched his spirits, an abstraction of cheer and laughter raising Jake, manifested in these two wonderful girls that were his past, present and future, representatives of the hope that carried him, of the hope that he carried.

“I can’t believe you used one of the ideas from Dirk’s shitty anime,” Jake chuckled." 

"There’s a reason why people watched it back then,” Jade winked. "I’ll do whatever it takes to bring you back."

The three of them pulled themselves in into a large group embrace, hugging and letting the tears flow, even sniffing whatever they could get from each other, never wanting to let go. But they were triumphant now, hope blazing within them and they felt that they could do anything. Jade and Jane spoke now as one, voices blending into a single beacon for Jake to latch onto.

_"I've lost you more than once. We won't lose you again."_

Jane grinned as she started to fade. "Remember Jake, you were the one who dealt English his first true, proper, defeat. Not me, not Jade."

"You’re not a Joke, Jake,” Jane pumped her fist in the air. "You're the effing Page of Hope, and you can do it!"

Both specters merged with Jake, and he felt the fire burning within him. These were the words of encouragement he needed to go on. Even if it had came from himself all along to begin with.

He could hear the echoes clearly now. Dirk. Dave. Roxy. Even this Vriska. They were all calling out to him, the catalyst that sparked the change in the first place. They were there for him, and they weren't giving up.

It was his turn now.

The vision of a green skull and gnarled teeth loomed overhead, all points of light spiraling towards it. Fists clenched, with a determined look on his face, Jake ascended.

To defy, and claim back what was rightfully his.

* * *

"What's up?" Rose asked as she warped in. "Made any progress on- ...oh hi, Jack."

Jack stared straight ahead in his restraints, refusing to acknowledge her presence. He and the others stayed grounded on the lilypad PM had flown over, now serving as their base.

"Kinda busy now," Dave shouted back, dodging a crescent whirl of fluctuating energy.

Rose frowned, arms crossed. "Maybe I could advise on how to proceed," she said, stepping aside as another blast skirted past her. "We-"

"Hey! I've come with backup!"

Jasprosesprite^2 burst through her fenestrated window, the two Nannasprites following close behind. The healers set about patching up the wounded crew, restoring them to their original conditions.

"They hid when the Condesce went cray-cray while she battled Kanaya," Jasprose explained. "Then they were looking for their son's body so they were kinda hard to track down. But now they're back and we're a-okay for action!"

"Sweet," Dirk commented, contracting his muscles, feeling the fibres firing themselves up. “I could definitely work with this.” He shot out a sustained arc of lightning into Lord English. For a brief moment, the cherub flickered, before his soul snapped back into his body. He roared, the vulnerability exposed.

"I might be able to pull his soul out, but it ain't gonna be easy,” Dirk said, wiping off a smudge of blood. "Then there's the issue of Jake. He's gotta fight it himself, so I don't accidentally take him as well. "

"He's strong, he'll make it." Rose assured. "So, what are we doing once we pull it out?"

"We're gonna jack his soul,” Dirk said.

Rose looked confused. “Er...okay? What's new. We knew that we have to transfer it into another vessel, but-"

"He means it literally!" Roxy hollered, too eager to contain the pun. "Jack his soul! _Jack!!!_ "

Rose made an 'O' with her mouth, genuine surprise written all over her face.

“You want to give reality destroying powers to an already established murderous psychopath,” Rose noted with wry humour. “Great call. Why don’t we put Terezi in charge of establishing the law in our new universe while we’re at it?"

“Any better ideas?” Vriska shot back. “We’ll just have to best all our foes at once, no big. At least they’re now all the same asshole."

“We coordinated with the Prospitian, and this actually solves both our problems,” Dirk explained. “I’ll explain later. Our new friend over here seems quite willing as well."

Jack shrugged, compliant. “A chance to gain powers that could wreck all of reality? You really think I could refuse?"

Rose squinted her eyes. “I’m not quite sure if you’re capable of sarcasm."

“Just dripping with it,” Jack growled, teeth bared. “I’ll relish the chance to kill all of you again. And this time, the dog girl’s going down too."

“Try it,” Rose dared, winking, before joining in the fight. The Nannasprites kept them all in tip top condition, so the heroes were relentless, inexhaustible in pushing English back and keeping him occupied. Any moment now. Once the Prospitian was in position, they could play things out. She couldn’t wait for John, and had flown off on her own.

The Wayward Vagabond watched over Ms. Paint, with instructions to allow her to interact with Jack but to make sure she didn’t do anything funny. She knelt by Jack’s side, talking to him. “Jack,” she pleaded. “Do see sense. Why are you doing this to yourself? I-"

“Enough, lady.” Jack stared off into the distance at the ongoing battle. “I’m incorrigible, y’know? And even though my intentions aren’t exactly noble, my consent is actually helping the ‘good guys’. They get their friend back, and are free to escape from here, whatever the hell that means.” He sighed, struggling a little against the ropes Vriska had summoned to bind him. “I was never going to get a happy ending anyway, and this is as close to any sort of possible ‘redemption’… ugh. Or punishment, whatever. That depends on whether they’ll succeed. But I sure as hell am not letting them."

“Jack…” Ms. Paint frowned, and she knew that there was no way she could reach him anymore.

WV placed his hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. Her shoulders slumped, and she got up, held her dress and moved over to WV’s side.

“But if it’s of any consolation, lady, I do hope just a little that maybe I’ll fail. So that you’ll be alright.” Jack didn’t look back. "You’re a nice lass who has no business around folks like me. These last few moments have been good… but this is goodbye as it is."

Ms. Paint shed a tear, and WV hugged her from behind, executing a more consoling improvisation of shoosh-papping he’d learnt from Dave.

Vriska had managed to roll the straight set of 8 by 8, and hammered away at English with ancestral fury. The Strider-Lalondes weren’t holding anything back either, throwing fraymotif after fraymotif at English, countering anything English pulled on them. 

Then the minigun came hurtling through out of nowhere, spinning and whizzing past our heroes. Rose anticipated it a split second earlier, turning around-

Jack lunged for it, but tripped as a result of being bound, falling flat on the ground, the gun bouncing off his head with a bonk.

And at that moment, Clover chose to escape successfully, using Roxy’s arm as a platform to push off.

The minigun ricocheted, landing squarely in Clover’s arms, the trigger happy madman flailing with glee.

“Aw hell no!” Roxy swore, bringing up a mini-blackhole shield as Vriska followed behind.

And Sollux warped in, a cyan blink that didn’t even have the time to act- 

Clover got startled, turned, and immediately fired, riddling Sollux with bullets.

By the time Roxy and Vriska had him pinned, gun confiscated and the leprechaun restrained, Sollux was dead.

“Fuck,” Dave sighed, as he and Dirk clashed with English’s white flame with a sick fraymotif. “That would’ve been a neutral death."

Jasprose ducked beneath English, firing violet balls of yarn at him. “We’ll just send him to John too. No biggie."

“Guess he’s full dead now huh,” Dave shrugged, as Rose slapped him on the shoulder.

“Dave!"

“Insensitive much,” Dirk laughed, almost having fun. It seemed that whatever purification fire-thing English had pulled earlier had left the monster temporarily drained. Even just three or four of them were enough to keep him at bay, but not for long. 

They would have to hurry before the window closed, shutting them out of their final reward forever.

* * *

"John."

"Holy shit Kanaya! Oh fuck. Are you alright?"

Kanaya Maryam was painted green, half blind, all her limbs grubby and mangled. It was a miracle she could even sustain an upright position, as she stood on a chunk of stray debris. 

"Fuck fuck fuck. We need to patch you up! How are you still..?"

Kanaya could barely manage more than a mumble, but her words were just as crisp as ever. "Just Because Im Undead Doesn’t Mean That I Can Regenerate."

"Oh right,” John pondered out loud. “You’re a zombie vampire."

“Whatever That Means,” Kanaya replied, weak.

John took care to handle Kanaya’s body, brought her into a delicate cradle before he teleported to the core of Prospit’s Moon. Six Sacrificial Slabs lay in wait, stone blocks of Blood, Mind, Space, Breath, Light, Rage and Doom lying in a neat row.

He lowered Kanaya onto her aspect’s slab, before taking out the bodies of Karkat and Terezi, suspending them in mid air. He held on to his father, his eyes not lingering for more than a moment at the card. Patience, he thought. He would be able to see his Dad again if all went well.

Rather crudely, a pink fenestrated window popped out of nowhere. Knowing this had to be Jasprose’s work, John waited for the feline sprite to spring out of it, but the portal just floated, ominous.

“What..?"

John flew over, sticking his head at the mouth of the window-

-only for Sollux’s corpse to come barrelling through it, catching John right smack in the face as they both flopped over, John fussing in disgust.

“Oh come on, guys!"

Attached to Sollux’s body was a hastily prepared note, blotched red ink - or blood? - spelling out three words.

 

this guy too.

 

“Fucking Dave,” John swore, as he tucked in the note and set about to place the bodies on their slabs.

“John,” came the frail pleas of Kanaya.

“Not now,” John said. “I gotta ascend these guys, so-"

“You Have To Ascend Me Too,” Kanaya said. “Otherwise Why Would You Place Me Here As Well."

“But you’re not dead yet!” John protested. “You can’t even die! Permanently, I guess."

Kanaya sighed, and even in excruciating pain she managed to pull off a perfectly exasperated face. “Then Kill Me John. Kill Me And Lets Get This Over With."

“What!?” John shouted, the echoes reverberating around the moon’s core. “I couldn’t possibly-!"

“If I Become God Tier These Injuries Will Disappear And I Am Tired Of Hurting,” Kanaya forced out. “Give Me Something To Kill Myself With If You Cant Do It Yourself." 

John was still flustered, unable to process the request. “Come on, Kanaya. There must be something we can-"

Kanaya’s frustrated voice cut through John’s wailing. "If Theres Anything Ive Learnt As A Space Player Its That In Order To Create One Must First Destroy. So Fucking Hurry Up And Kill Me Now."

“I… I can’t…"

The thought of killing a friend, even if for the greater good, was something John couldn’t bring himself to do. But looking at the bloodied, grim, determination expression on Kanaya, he had to relent.

As though right on cue, a copy of the Unbreakable Katana came sailing through the fenestrated window, clanking at Kanaya’s feet. She didn’t even wait for John, before her feeble hands strained to pick it up, and she plunged the sword straight through her chest.

“Kanaya-!"

John let out an exasperated noise, before placing all of the three bodies on their respective slabs. The instant they touch synchronised with the moment Kanaya’s heart stopped beating, and Prospit’s Moon shook with such an intensity heretofore unseen.

The four slabs burst, rainbow energy and stardust erupting from within, the flames of the universe licking the edges of the dome. Four gods ascended, floating in their flowing robes, a palette of maroon, teal, myrtle and black.

John observed in awe, his first time as a spectator of the ascension process. As the sparks of magic faded and the trolls stepped out of the nebula, each admired the other, flexing their newfound bodies.

"I CAN FLY," came the first words of the revived Karkat. "OH WOW."

“G3T OV3R 1T,” Terezi teased. "TH3R3 1S WORK TO DO, K4RK4T."

Kanaya was as straightforward as always. "Take Me To English. I Believe My New Abilities Would Be Quintessential In Healing The Damage He Might Have Inflicted. 

"US TOO," cackled Terezi. "I C4N R3LI3V3 ROS3 4ND S33 TH4T SMUG 4SSHOL3 W1TH3R 1NTO MUSH!"

Sollux didn’t seem to be in a hurry. "I’ll hang ar0und here f0r n0w, if you d0n’t mind. I’ve had quite en0ugh 0f these shenanigans. But d0n’t w0rry ab0ut me. I’ll j0in the rest 0f you sh0rtly."

"Sure thing,” John gave him a thumbs up. "Wow, you’re all looking really good!"

Karkat spun one round, cape twirling as he did so. "THANK YOU."

An absent thought found its way into John’s head. "Oh Kanaya, I thought it was weird, but where exactly were you just now? You just kind of appeared out of nowhere, and-"

She held her hand up for John to pause. "I Somehow Managed To Fade Into Space Itself. When My Defeat At The Hands Of The Condesce Was Inevitable I Sought For A Way To Preserve Myself. Weaving My Being Into The Fabric Of Space Was A Last Resort And Was Probably Why Rose Could Not Find Me. I Was Everywhere At Once Yet Nowhere At All.” Kanaya’s words now had a regal, imposing feel to them, yet the came out like fluid sentences, graceful. "I Felt You Zipping Around And So Managed To Release Myself."

"THAT’S. COOL." Karkat’s mouth dropped. "HOW COME ALL OF YOU MANIFESTED COOL POWERS BEFORE YOU WENT GOD TIER? THE FUCK CAN I EVEN DO NOW, BESIDES FLYING."

"DO3SN’T M4TT3R 4NYMOR3," Terezi scolded. "W3 4LL H4V3 OUR W1NGS NOW, SO L3SS D4WDL1NG, MOR3 B4D GUY SL4Y1NG."

"STILL NO WINGS."

"YOU C4N FLY 4ND TH4T’S P3RF3CTLY F1N3."

"Ahem," Kanaya coughed. “We Can Debate And Complain After We Finish This And Arrive In The Safety Of Our New Universe."

John extended his hand for the rest to hold. “Shall we?"

And with that, the new gods joined the others on the deciding battleground.  

* * *

 

* * *

 

Terezi shouted before the second flare went up, a purple shower bordering on red, Caliborn’s spirit screaming bloody murder.

PM flew straight ahead, into the wormhole to appear behind Jane-

 

* * *

 

“Here’s a dick load of asshole about to shoved down your throat,” Dave said. "Ready for this, Noir?” 

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Jack growled. “Hit me with your best shot, idiots." 

"Oh, I should mention,” Rose giggled. "There’s half a clown soul stashed in there-"

"What?!" Jack shouted, eyes widening. "No no no I take it all ba-"

Vriska seized Jack’s mind, a harsh tug that rendered him pliable-

* * *

 

Jane turned, already expecting this-

Only for PM to enter a second wormhole, assuming a position from the side-

But Jane only went faster, not bothering to correct her pitchfork’s trajectory-

* * *

 

Lord English spewed rainbow fire, Jake’s Hope field guarding him from damage- 

Karkat channelled his Blood powers to Jake, and he felt his strength blossom, dispelling anything English could throw at him- 

* * *

 

And Jane pierced straight into PM’s arm, a savage upheaval that tore the whole limb from the socket-

The ring flipped in the air, PM’s transformation dispelled, weaponless and powerless-

 

* * *

 

Jake English created a fist made out of pure Hope energy, righteous flame burning as he punched English in the nose-

 

* * *

  

Another regisword hurtled towards her-

 

* * *

 

English’s tattered soul falling back, torn apart from Jake’s body as the boy’s soul snapped back into himself-

 

* * *

 

A backup, this outcome the Seer had already seen in her mind’s eye-

 

* * *

 

And Lord English travelled along the path Karkat built, tying and sending English straight into Jack.

 

* * *

 

And PM grabbed it, plunging the sword straight into Jane’s open chest, directly into the Lady’s heart and she held her position, even as her skin flaked and decomposed from exposure.

 

* * *

 

“Hold him!” Dirk shouted, as everyone diverted their energies into supporting Vriska, maintaining their control over Jack English 2.0, giving the validation needed to release Jane from her curse.

 

* * *

 

Jane’s head lolled back, eyelids drooping as her vitality faded away.

They’d done it. They’d freed her. She had permission to die.

And now PM glowed, a turbulent, tumultuous aura surrounding itself around its new mistress.

The curse had transferred, manifested itself in her. 

Jade caught the body, as John and Terezi floated over to make sure that everything was okay. They’d wrapped up things on this front, and all that was left was to rejoin the others. English was subdued, at least for the moment.

Just a bit more.

* * *

“Jack’s a resilient bugger, but I don’t doubt for one second that English is overwhelmingly stronger,” Dirk noted. "Any moment now he’ll seize control-"

“Or they’ll simply merge into one,” Rose said. "Their personalities are so alike, it’s a wonder that only now they’re the same person."

“Got her!” John shouted, returning with Jade, Terezi, PM, and Jane’s corpse.

Vriska let go, severing the link before English had any ideas and tried to jump into her. She tumbled back, Dave and Karkat catching her and helping her to her feet.

Kanaya, Rose, Roxy and Jade set about constructing the sturdiest seal they could to hold Jack English, while the rest gave aid to the fallen.

They all congregated on the lilypad, another makeshift victory platform to rest up, each of them taking short shifts to monitor English. Any reunion would have to be short lived - the worst wasn’t over yet.

Dirk lay himself at the feet of Jake’s body, both Nannasprites already working to heal him up. With Lord English gone, Jake sustained grevious injuries. His swollen head was changing back to its previous shape and size, his muscles gradually atrophying to suit the physique of a teenage boy. The bleeding had stopped but he was still left an arm and leg short, and very unconscious. He might be able to grow that back someday, or at least replace them with prosthetics.

“We’ll need him for this next phase,” Jade noted.

“He’ll come to,” Dirk said, matter-of-factly.

The Peregine Mendicant- no, the Primordial Matriarch - floated now. It seemed that the curse had upgraded itself at the behest of Jack English. PM had access to most, if not all of Jack English’s abilities, drawing from the same cherubic well that oversaw all things immortal. Even if Jack hadn’t allowed her, she might’ve just snatched it with brute force, given her curse’s link to immortality.

"Was it necessary to transfer the curse to this nice lady?” John asked Vriska, pointing at the flashing, technicolour PM. “Why would you all want to subject her to this… eternal torture?"

PM placed a hand on John’s shoulder. “I volunteered myself. It is no worry."

“It is worrying!” John threw his hands up. “You’re now at the mercy of English!"

“Sometimes… you can’t save everyone, John,” Vriska shook her head. “We tried to convince her, but she wouldn’t have it. Jack only agreed to the whole thing if PM would go down with him. Of course I seized his mind because we can’t trust him, but I couldn’t override his condition that the curse be transferred to PM when Jane died.” She gave him a hug. “I’m sorry."

“I am Jack’s insurance. Even if he’s defeated, he’ll make sure that I suffer as well. Maybe one day, English will let me die,” PM shrugged. “But as of now, what’s important is that we defeat him."

Sollux flew over, satisfied that the worst was over. “Sup. Just here f0r the ride."

Karkat gave him a bro-fist, and they proceeded to catch up with each other.

"Where're we going?” Jade asked Rose.

“Away and beyond,” Rose grimaced, staring into the horizon. “I think I finally know what my quest was meant to be. If there’s any guidance to be had that _matters,_ it has to be now."

Jade gasped. “Playing the rain."

Rose nodded. “Yes, but not really. Skaia’s words have always been more open to interpretation than ever. As a Seer, I won’t be on the stands in the orchestra. More like… I’ll be your conductor."

"Choo choo! All aboard the Lalonde train, peeps!” Roxy seemed enthusiastic, even with impending doom just metres away from them.

“We’ll be racing again,” Rose noted, bashful at Roxy’s outburst. “Sollux." 

Sollux grumbled, but otherwise complied. He rolled up his Mage robes’ sleeves, ready to aid in the final push.

“You’ll have others to help you this time,” Jade smiled, holding his arm. “We’re all in this together, kay?"

Even after years of his hardened, nihilistic attitude, Sollux couldn’t help but grin at the little sunshine of hope that Jade brought.

A fenestrated window materialised, as Davepeta hopped back through the portal.

“Sup y’all,” they grinned. “It may not look like it, but it’s been years. Literally. I haven’t aged much, have I?"

“You look fine,” Jasprose chided, using her saliva to lick down the stray strands of his hair. “You done what you need?"

They nodded. “All that’s left is to these peeps." 

"K4RCR4B," Terezi called out. "W3 N33D TO G4TH3R 4LL OF YOUR 4FT3RL1F3 FR13NDS."

“NOW?” Karkat sighed.

“Y3S, UNL3SS YOU N3V3R W4NT TO S33 TH3M 4G41N. COM3 NOW 4ND SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" 

Karkat lay himself down, as Vriska put him to sleep under Terezi’s instructions. The Seer put her hands around his head, using her mind powers to connect with Karkat’s dream-body.

Once in the dream bubble, Karkat let loose a sprawling growth of his Red Miles, spanning across the entire Furthest Ring and penetrating as many bubbles as possible, connecting them all together.  Terezi guided his branches, and once most were in place, she broadcasted her message.

"YO LOS3RS,” Terezi shouted, her grating voice amplified through Karkat’s connections. "YOUR GURL TZ H3R3. YOU W4NN4 JO1N TH3 COOL K1DS WH3N TH3Y CL41M TH31R ULT1M4T3 R3W4RD? DON’T W4NN4 G3T L3FT B3H1ND 1N N3RDL4ND 4ND ROT 4W4Y FOR 4LL 3T3RN1TY? TH3N HURRY TH3 FUCK UP OR YOU'R3 GONN4 M1SS US! G3T YOUR 4SS3S OV3R H3R3. R1GHT. NOW. TH1S TR41N 1S 4BOUT TO L34V3!"

Ghosts immediately flocked over in a panicked frenzy, Karkat giving Meenah and Tavros a final fist bump each before he returned to the world of the waking. The last thing he remembered was Aradia giving him a wave before he woke, bleary eyed, to Terezi’s chortling.

"I’m done,” Vriska told Roxy. "I know you guys need this too.” She thumbed the Ring of Life in her hand.

“Thanks a lot, girl,” Roxy grinned. “We couldn’t have done it without you."

"YOU BETTER HURRY BEFORE YOU MISS THE ALIVE TRAIN," Karkat shouted, slightly groggy after waking up. Vriska gave him a middle finger, for old time's sake. 

“8ring us home,” she smiled, taking off the ring and placing it in Roxy’s palm. Vriska let the afterlife take her again, and she waved her goodbyes, until her corporeal body dissolved and her spirit entered the ethereal plane. Roxy held the ring tight, ready to slip it on her departed friend. Jane’s body was already turning cold, but she wasn’t going to stay dead for much longer.

John was jumpy, checking up on everyone, seeing that they’d made their final preparations and that everyone was accounted for before the final push. The black hole ahead of them was still growing in size, an exponential expansion that would be beneficial for no one.

He noted the ring in Roxy’s hand, looked at Jane’s body, and one final detail snapped into place.

“Hey,” John noted, looking around. "If she’s the one Terezi killed, then where's Vriska?"

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **FINAL UPDATE NEWS**
> 
> Ha ha hi! This really is like Hiveswap now, and if Hussie can get away with delaying a year for many years (although tbh it isn't his fault and it is entirely mine) then so can I!. 
> 
> Point being, this will be the final status update on this project for perpetuity, or until it's finished. I don't want to put a date, I really don't. But don't expect anything in 2017. Which is long, and sucks, but hey that's life. If and when the final two chapters are done, I really hope you'll enjoy them because I would've busted my ass to bring them here.
> 
> Sorry for all delays and thank you so much for your legendary patience.
> 
>  
> 
> **UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE NEWS**
> 
> This is beginning to feel like Hiveswap, and me the next Hussie (nah I could never measure up). What's taking so long, you might ask, for just a measly two more chapters when I've clearly been churning out enough words over the past year to write this entire series twice over?
> 
> It will be worth the wait. I hope. If it helps I basically haven't really started, but I will soon, and hopefully I can wrap this up on a Very Special Day.
> 
> Thank you for your phenomenal patience, if you still happen to be here.
> 
>  
> 
> **UPDATE UPDATE NEWS**
> 
> Hey y'all, remember when this was a thing? Me neither. Haha I'm joking, it's one of the many things constantly on my mind. It looks like I overestimated myself along with my workload and life and other things and it looks like the final two chapters won't be happening anytime soon. I did say before August and it's July 31st and I'm sitting at my computer just thinking: well shit.
> 
> An optimistic estimate would be by the end of the year, but even then I'm gonna say that realistically, it'll probably be by March? Will anyone still remember this. I doubt it haha but when it does finish - and I'll make sure it's finished, and that it's worth it - I hope you'll all enjoy it. 
> 
> Sorry and thanks!
> 
>  
> 
> **UPDATE NEWS**
> 
> What If BKEW Was Right? will be on hiatus, for approximately two months. I'll be out of the country without access to a computer, so it'll take some time to finish up this project. I think the wait will be really worth it, and we should be able to wrap this up before August comes. The final two chapters will be a blast, I promise.
> 
> Thank you for reading and all the kind feedback. Keep them coming! Comments are always appreciated, and do share if you think this fic is worth it (I hope it is!).  
> \---  
> Super long lead up chapter (AGAIN) to tie up everything. It’s pretty much going to be a hell of a ride downwards from here onwards.
> 
> The title is self-explanatory, I believe. Way too many parallels to do with death and life, destruction and creation, and ultimately change and transformation. Most if not all our characters have reached their physical endgame states, and all that’s left is to see how they’ll use their newfound forms to influence reality into the end.
> 
> It’s been great, writing this. I didn’t know how much I needed to do something creatively Homestuck, until I did.


End file.
